montoni, you are a villain! if there is treachery in this affair, look to yourself as the author of it.if--do i say? i--whom you have wronged with unexampled baseness, whom you have injured almost beyond redress! but why do i use words?--come on, coward, and receive justice at my hands!'
'coward!' cried montoni, bursting from the people who held him, and rushing on the count, when they both retreated into the corridor, where the fight continued so desperately, that none of the spectators dared approach them, montoni swearing, that the first who interfered, should fall by his sword.
jealousy and revenge lent all their fury to morano, while the superior skill and the temperance of montoni enabled him to wound his adversary, whom his servants now attempted to seize, but he would not be restrained, and, regardless of his wound, continued to fight.he seemed to be insensible both of pain and loss of blood, and alive only to the energy of his passions.montoni, on the contrary, persevered in the combat, with a fierce, yet wary, valour; he received the point of morano's sword on his arm, but, almost in the same instant, severely wounded and disarmed him.the count then fell back into the arms of his servant, while montoni held his sword over him, and bade him ask his life.morano, sinking under the anguish of his wound, had scarcely replied by a gesture, and by a few words, feebly articulated, that he would not--when he fainted; and montoni was then going to have plunged the sword into his breast, as he lay senseless, but his arm was arrested by cavigni.to the interruption he yielded without much difficulty, but his complexion changed almost to blackness, as he looked upon his fallen adversary, and ordered, that he should be carried instantly from the castle.
in the mean time, emily, who had been with-held from leaving the chamber during the affray, now came forward into the corridor, and pleaded a cause of common humanity, with the feelings of the warmest benevolence, when she entreated montoni to allow morano the assistance in the castle, which his situation required.but montoni, who had seldom listened to pity, now seemed rapacious of vengeance, and, with a monster's cruelty, again ordered his defeated enemy to be taken from the castle, in his present state, though there were only the woods, or a solitary neighbouring cottage, to shelter him from the night.