ce
disappeared no one knows whither; that the Marquis of Orsini was one of
the leaders in the awful deed of sacrilege, and that her ladyship the
countess, and a young maiden named Flora Francatelli, were rescued by
the robbers from their cells in the establishment. These ladies and the
marquis quitted the stronghold of the banditti together, blindfolded and
guided forth by that same Stephano Verrina whom I mentioned just now,
Lomellino (the present captain of the horde), and another bandit."

"And who is your informant? how learned you all this?" demanded the
count, trembling with the excitement of painful reminiscences
reawakened, and with the hope of speedy vengeance on the guilty pair,
his wife and the marquis.

"My lord," said Antonio, "pardon me if I remain silent; but I dare not
compromise the man----"

"Antonio," exclaimed the count, wrathfully, "you are deceiving me! Tell
me who was your informant--I command you--hesitate not----"

"My lord! my lord!" cried the valet, "is it not enough that I prove my
assertions--that I----"

"No!" cried the nobleman; "I have seen so much duplicity where all
appeared to be innocence--so much deceit where all wore the aspect of
integrity, that I can trust man no more. How know I for certain that all
this may not be some idle tale which you yourself have forged, to induce
me to put confidence in you, to intrust you with gold to bribe your
pretended informant, but which will really remain in your own pocket?
Speak, Antonio--tell me all, or I shall listen to you no more, and your
servitude in this mansion then ceases."

"I will speak frankly, my lord," replied the valet; "but in the course
you may adopt----"

"Fear not for yourself, nor for your informant, Antonio," interrupted
the count, impatiently. "Be ye both leagued with the banditti
yourselves, or be ye allied to the fiends of hell," he added, with
fiercer emphasis, "I care not so long as I can render ye the instruments
of my vengeance!"

"Good, my lord!" exclaimed Antonio, delighted with this assurance; "and
now I can speak fearlessly and frankly. My informant is that _other_
bandit who accompanied Stephano Verrina and Lomellino when the countess,
Flora, and the marquis were conducted blindfold from the robbers'
stronghold. But while they were yet all inmates of that stronghold, this
same bandit, whose name is Venturo, overheard the marquis inform
Stephano Verrina that he intended to remain in Florence to obtain the