seudonym, worked their wicked will upon me till
daybreak set me free; and I presume that the fair Bianca was no better
off, for when the breakfast hour arrived I received a message from her
to the effect that she was unable to leave her room.

I was sitting over my dreary little repast, wondering how I should get
through the day, and speculating upon the possibility of my release
before nightfall, and I had just concluded that I must make up my mind
to face another night with the mosquitos and their hardy allies, when,
to my great joy, a slatternly serving-maid came lolloping into the room,
and announced that a gentleman styling himself "_il Conte di Rosenau_"
had arrived and demanded to see me instantly. Here was a piece of
unlooked-for good fortune! I jumped up, and flew to the door to receive
my friend, whose footsteps I already heard on the threshold.

"My dear, good soul!" I cried, "this is too delightful! How did you
manage----"

The remainder of my sentence died away upon my lips; for, alas! it
was not the missing Alberto whom I had nearly embraced, but a stout,
red-faced, white-moustached gentleman, who was in a violent passion,
judging by the terrific salute of Teutonic expletives with which he
greeted my advance. Then he, too, desisted as suddenly as I had done,
and we both fell back a few paces, and stared at each other blankly. The
new-comer was the first to recover himself.

"This is some accursed mistake," said he, in German.

"Evidently," said I.

"But they told me that you and an Italian young lady were the only
strangers in the house."

"Well, sir," I said, "I can't help it if we are. The house is not of
a kind likely to attract strangers; and I assure you that, if I could
consult my own wishes, the number of guests would soon be reduced by
one."

He appeared to be a very choleric old person. "Sir," said he, "you seem
disposed to carry things off with a high hand; but I suspect that you
know more than you choose to reveal. Be so good as to tell me the name
of the lady who is staying here."

"I think you are forgetting yourself," I answered with dignity. "I must
decline to gratify your curiosity."

He stuck his arms akimbo, and planted himself directly in front of me,
frowning ominously. "Let us waste no more words," he said. "If I
have made a mistake, I shall be ready to offer you a full apology. If
not--But that is nothing to the purpose. I am Lieutenant-General Graf
von Rosenau, at your s