our roads lie the same way, my Lord?" asked he of
Norwood.

"Very seldom, I suspect," replied the Viscount, with a laugh. "_Mine_ is
in this direction."

"And _mine_ lies this way," said D'Esmonde, bowing coldly, but
courteously, as he passed on, and entered the narrow street beyond the
bridge. "You are quite right, my Lord," muttered he to himself; "our
paths in life are very different. _Yours_ may be wider and pleasanter,
but mine, with all its turnings, goes straighter." He paused and
listened for some seconds, till Norwood's steps had died away in the
distance, and then turning back, he followed in the direction the other
had taken.

Norwood walked rapidly along till he came to that small house on the
Arno where Jekyl lived, and stopping in front of it, he threw a handful
of sand against the window. To this signal, twice repeated, no reply was
given to the Viscount He waited a few seconds, and then moved on. The
Abbe stood under the shadow of the tall palaces till the other was out
of sight, and then, approaching the door, gave a long, low whistle.
Within a few seconds the sash was opened, and Jekyl's voice heard,----

"It's you, Abbe. There 's the key. Will you excuse ceremony, and let
yourself in?"

D'Esmonde opened the door at once, and, mounting the stairs, entered
the little chamber in which now Jekyl stood in his dressing-gown and
slippers; and although suddenly roused from sleep, with a smile of
courteous welcome on his diminutive features,----

"I paid no attention to your first signal, Abbe," said he, "scarcely
thinking it could be you."

"Nor was it," said D'Esmonde, seating himself. "It was Lord Norwood, who
doubtless must have had some important reason for disturbing you at this
hour. I waited till he went off before I whistled. When did you arrive?"

"About three hours ago. I came from Lucerne, and was obliged to take
such a zig-zag course, the roads being all blocked up by marching
soldiers, guns, and wagons, that I have been eight days making the
journey of three."

"So, Lady Hester is a widow! Strange, I only heard it an hour ago."

"The post has been interrupted, or you would have known it a week back.
I wrote to you from Zurich. I accompanied her so far on her way to
England, and was to have gone the whole way, too, but she determined to
send me back here."

"Not to settle her affairs in Florence," said D'Esmonde, with a quiet
slyness.

"Rather to look after Lord Norwood's," said J