nses
had been paid in advance, and his reward at the instant of his
application for it; and as the signorina and Barto were both good
patriots, and he, Luigi, was a good patriot, what harm could be done to
her? Both she and Barto had stamped their different impressions on his
waxen nature. He reconciled his service to them separately by the
exclamation that they were both good patriots.

The plot for the rising in Milan city was two months old. It comprised
some of the nobles of the city, and enjoyed the good wishes of the
greater part of them, whose payment of fifty to sixty per cent to the
Government on the revenue of their estates was sufficient reason for a
desire to change masters, positively though they might detest
Republicanism, and dread the shadow of anarchy. These looked hopefully to
Charles Albert. Their motive was to rise, or to countenance a rising, and
summon the ambitious Sardinian monarch with such assurances of devotion,
that a Piedmontese army would be at the gates when the banner of Austria
was in the dust. Among the most active members of the prospectively
insurgent aristocracy of Milan was Count Medole, a young nobleman of vast
wealth and possessed of a reliance on his powers of mind that induced him
to take a prominent part in the opening deliberations, and speedily
necessitated his hire of the friendly offices of one who could supply him
with facts, with suggestions, with counsel, with fortitude, with
everything to strengthen his pretensions to the leadership, excepting
money. He discovered his man in Barto Rizzo, who quitted the ranks of the
republican section to serve him, and wield a tool for his own party. By
the help of Agostino Balderini, Carlo Ammiani, and others, the
aristocratic and the republican sections of the conspiracy were brought
near enough together to permit of a common action between them, though
the maintaining of such harmony demanded an extreme and tireless delicacy
of management. The presence of the Chief, whom we have seen on the
Motterone, was claimed by other cities of Italy. Unto him solely did
Barto Rizzo yield thorough adhesion. He being absent from Milan, Barto
undertook to represent him and carry out his views. How far he was
entitled to do so may be guessed when it is stated that, on the ground of
his general contempt for women, he objected to the proposition that
Vittoria should give the signal. The proposition was Agostino's. Count
Medole, Barto, and Agostino dis