s two
peasants had seen the count beating her, and our subsequent combat.

I gave her two sequins, begging her to come and see me at Gorice, and to
tell me where I could find a conveyance.

Her sister offered to shew me the way to a farm, where I could get what I
wanted. On the way she told me that Torriano had been her sister's enemy
before the death of her husband because she rejected all his proposals.

I found a good conveyance at the farm, and the man promised to drive me
in to Gorice by dinner-time.

I gave him half-a-crown as an earnest, and went away, telling him to come
for me.

I returned to the count's and had scarcely finished getting ready when
the conveyance drove up.

I was about to put my luggage in it, when a servant came from the count
asking me to give him a moment's conversation.

I wrote a note in French, saying that after what had passed we ought not
to meet again under his roof.

A minute later he came into my room, and shut the door, saying,--

"As you won't speak to me, I have come to speak to you."

"What have you got to say?"

"If you leave my house in this fashion you will dishonour me, and I will
not allow it."

"Excuse me, but I should very much like to see how you are going to
prevent me from leaving your house."

"I will not allow you to go by yourself; we must go together."

"Certainly; I understand you perfectly. Get your sword or your pistols,
and we will start directly. There is room for two in the carriage."

"That won't do. You must dine with me, and then we can go in my
carriage."

"You make a mistake. I should be a fool if I dined with you when our
miserable dispute is all over the village; to-morrow it will have reached
Gorice."

"If you won't dine with me, I will dine with you, and people may say what
they like. We will go after dinner, so send away that conveyance."

I had to give in to him. The wretched count stayed with me till noon,
endeavouring to persuade me that he had a perfect right to beat a
country-woman in the road, and that I was altogether in the wrong.

I laughed, and said I wondered how he derived his right to beat a free
woman anywhere, and that his pretence that I being her lover had no right
to protect her was a monstrous one.

"She had just left my arms," I continued, "was I not therefore her
natural protector? Only a coward or a monster like yourself would have
remained indifferent, though, indeed, I believe that even you would have