hold.

2.14.

Trescorre too kept open house, and here Odo found a warmer welcome than
he had expected. Though Trescorre was still the Duchess's accredited
lover, it was clear that the tie between them was no longer such as to
make him resent her kindness to her young kinsman. He seemed indeed
anxious to draw Odo into her Highness's circle, and surprised him by a
frankness and affability of which his demeanour at Turin had given no
promise. As leader of the anti-clericals he stood for such liberalism as
dared show its head in Pianura; and he seemed disposed to invite Odo's
confidence in political matters. The latter was, however, too much the
child of his race not to hang back from such an invitation. He did not
distrust Trescorre more than the other courtiers; but it was a time when
every ear was alert for the foot-fall of treachery, and the rashest man
did not care to taste first of any cup that was offered him.

These scruples Trescorre made it his business to dispel. He was the only
person at court who was willing to discuss politics, and his clear view
of affairs excited Odo's admiration if not his concurrence. Odo's was in
fact one of those dual visions which instinctively see both sides of a
case and take the defence of the less popular. Gamba's principles were
dear to him; but he did not therefore believe in the personal baseness
of every opponent of the cause. He had refrained from mentioning the
hunchback to his supposed brother; but the latter, in one of their
talks, brought forward Gamba's name, without reference to the
relationship, but with high praise for the young librarian's parts.
This, at the moment, put Odo on his guard; but Trescorre having one day
begged him to give Gamba warning of some petty danger that threatened
him from the clerical side, it became difficult not to believe in an
interest so attested; the more so as Trescorre let it be seen that
Gamba's political views were not such as to distract from his sympathy.

"The fellow's brains," said he, "would be of infinite use to me; but
perhaps he serves us best at a distance. All I ask is that he shall not
risk himself too near Father Ignazio's talons, for he would be a pretty
morsel to throw to the Holy Office, and the weak point of such a man's
position is that, however dangerous in life, he can threaten no one from
the grave."

Odo reported this to Gamba, who heard with a two-edged smile. "Yes," was
his comment, "he fears me enough to w