ttering and huzzaing; all working on to the one-toned fall beneath the
rainbow on the castle-rock.

Next day, the chasseur Jacob Baumwalder Feckelwitz deposed in full
company at Sonnenberg, that, obeying Count Serabiglione's instructions,
he had gone down to the city, and had there seen Lieutenant Pierson with
the ladies in front of the hotel; he had followed the English carriage,
which took up a man who was standing ready on crutches at the corner of
the Laubengasse, and drove rapidly out of the North-western gate, leading
to Schlanders and Mals and the Engadine. He had witnessed the transfer of
the crippled man from one carriage to another, and had raised shouts and
given hue and cry, but the intervention of the storm had stopped his
pursuit.

He was proceeding to say what his suppositions were. Count Lenkenstein
lifted his finger for Wilfrid to follow him out of the room. Count
Serabiglione went at their heels. Then Count Lenkenstein sent for his
wife, whom Anna and Lena accompanied.

"How many persons are you going to ruin in the course of your crusade, my
dear?" the duchess said to Laura.

"Dearest, I am penitent when I succeed," said Laura.

"If that young man has been assisting you, he is irretrievably ruined."

"I am truly sorry for him."

"As for me, the lectures I shall get in Vienna are terrible to think of.
This is the consequence of being the friend of both parties, and a
peace-maker."

Count Serabiglione returned alone from the scene at the examination,
rubbing his hands and nodding affably to his daughter. He maliciously
declined to gratify the monster of feminine curiosity in the lump, and
doled out the scene piecemeal. He might state, he observed, that it was
he who had lured Beppo to listen at the door during the examination of
the prisoners; and who had then planted a spy on him--following the
dictation of precepts exceedingly old. "We are generally beaten, duchess;
I admit it; and yet we generally contrive to show the brain. As I say,
wed brains to brute force!--but my Laura prefers to bring about a contest
instead of an union, so that somebody is certain to be struck, and"--the
count spread out his arms and bowed his head--"deserves the blow." He
informed them that Count Lenkenstein had ordered Lieutenant Pierson down
to Meran, and that the lieutenant might expect to be cashiered within
five days. "What does it matter?" he addressed Vittoria. "It is but a
shuffling of victims; Lieutenant Pi