ste. The signora put a
question. It was replied to with the name of the Maestro Rocco Ricci.
Following that, the Signor Antonio accompanied his voluble delivery with
pantomimic action which seemed to indicate the shutting of a door and an
instantaneous galloping of horses--a flight into air, any-whither. He
whipped the visionary steeds with enthusiastic glee, and appeared to be
off skyward like a mad poet, when the signora again put a question, and
at once he struck his hand flat across his mouth, and sat postured to
answer what she pleased with a glare of polite vexation. She spoke; he
echoed her, and the duchess took up the same phrase. Beppo was assisted
by the triangular recurrence of the words and their partial relationship
to Italian to interpret them: 'This night.' Then the signora questioned
further. The Greek replied: 'Mademoiselle Irma di Karski.'

'La Lazzeruola,' she said.

The Signor Antonio flashed a bit of sarcastic mimicry, as if acquiescing
in the justice of the opprobrious term from the high point of view: but
mademoiselle might pass, she was good enough for the public.

Beppo heard and saw no more. A tug from behind recalled him to his
situation. He put out his arms and gathered Aennchen all dark in them:
and first kissing her so heartily as to set her trembling on the verge of
a betrayal, before she could collect her wits he struck the fan down the
pretty hollow of her back, between her shoulder-blades, and bounded away.
It was not his intention to rush into the embrace of Jacob Baumwalder
Feckelwitz, but that perambulating chasseur received him in a
semi-darkness where all were shadows, and exclaimed, 'Aennchen!' Beppo
gave an endearing tenderness to the few words of German known to him:
'Gottschaf-donner-dummer!' and slipped from the hold of the astonished
Jacob, sheer under his arm-pit. He was soon in the street, excited he
knew not by what, or for what object. He shuffled the names he remembered
to have just heard--'Rocco Ricci, and 'la Lazzeruola.' Why did the name
of la Lazzeruola come in advance of la Vittoria? And what was the thing
meant by 'this night,' which all three had uttered as in an
agreement?--ay! and the Tyrol! The Tyrol--this night-Rocco Ricci la
Lazzeruola!

Beppo's legs were carrying him toward the house of the Maestro Rocco
Ricci ere he had arrived at any mental decision upon these imminent
mysteries.

CHAPTER XIV

AT THE MAESTRO'S DOOR

The house of the Maestro