ine or imprisonment without appeal. He had never
done such a thing in his life, and it was not pleasant to feel the
coming humiliation of being forced to revoke an order given in court and
to restore property he had summarily confiscated to the Treasury.

He felt himself shrinking in his chair, while the noble Signor Trombin
del Todescan, the secret envoy of the Venetian Republic, seemed to grow
bigger and more imposing every moment.

'I need not say that I am delighted to be set right, after making such a
grave mistake,' said Monsignor Pelagatti humbly. 'The circumstances were
very suspicious, as I hope your lordship will explain to the most
illustrious Chief. Our information seemed very exact, and as I was in
correspondence with the police of Venice in regard to the capture of
Bartolo, I could not doubt but that the Republic would be pleased with
the news that I had taken him, as I believed I had.'

'The Chief is persuaded of your worship's good intentions,' Trombin
answered blandly. 'I can promise your worship, in his name, that the
matter shall not be mentioned again. Will you be so good as to order
Signor Stradella to be set at liberty? I will conduct him to the inn
myself and see to his requirements. I am informed, however, that the
Lady Ortensia and her serving-woman left the house immediately after the
arrest on Saturday morning, and have not been seen since. Your worship
doubtless knows where I can find them.'

'Certainly,' answered the Legate, proud to show that nothing escaped his
vigilance. 'They went directly to the Ursuline nuns and asked to be
taken in. The Mother Superior very properly sent to ask my permission
before agreeing to let them stay, and I granted it. The most illustrious
Chief will be glad to know that her ladyship, his niece, has enjoyed the
protection of a religious order throughout this lamentable
misunderstanding.'

Monsignor Pelagatti dictated and signed the order for Stradella's
liberation, and then bade his secretary accompany the noble Signor and
see that there was no delay, and that his property was duly returned.
Trombin expressed the thanks of the most illustrious Chief of the Ten in
appropriately flowery language, bowed, as before, with precisely the
right show of mixed regard and condescension, and left the Legate to
meditate on his ill-luck in having chanced to make a mistake in such a
foolish manner that he could be forced to set it right.

He had no intention of changing