sly," said Carlo, "I kept her for some purpose of the sort. Will
I? and have a scandal now? Oh! no. Let her sleep."

Whether he spoke from noble-mindedness or indifference, Merthyr could
not guess.

"I have a message from your friend Luciano. He sends you his love, in
case he should be shot the first, and says that when Lombardy is free he
hopes you will not forget old comrades who are in Rome."

"Forget him! I would to God I could sit and talk of him for hours.
Luciano! Luciano! He has no wife."

Carlo spoke on hoarsely. "Tell me what authority you have for charging
Countess d'Isorella with... with whatever it may be."

"A conversation between Countess Anna of Lenkenstein and a Major Nagen,
in the Duchess of Graatli's house, was overheard by our Beppo.
They spoke German. The rascal had a German sweetheart with him. She
imprisoned him for some trespass, and had come stealing in to rescue
him, when those two entered the room. Countess Anna detailed to Nagen
the course of your recent plotting. She named the hour this morning when
you are to start for Brescia. She stated what force you have, what arms
you expect; she named you all."

"Nagen--Nagen," Carlo repeated; "the man's unknown to me."

"It's sufficient that he is an Austrian officer."

"Quite. She hates me, and she has reason, for she's aware that I mean to
fight her lover, and choose my time. The blood of my friends is on that
man's head."

"I will finish what I have to say," pursued Merthyr. "When Beppo had
related as much as he could make out from his sweetheart's translation,
I went straight to the duchess. She is an Austrian, and a good and
reasonable woman. She informed me that a letter addressed by Countess
Anna to Countess d'Isorella fell into her hands this night. She burnt it
unopened. I leave it to you to consider whether you have been betrayed
and who has betrayed you. The secret was bought. Beppo himself caught
the words, 'from a mercenary Italian.' The duchess tells me that
Countess Anna is in the habit of alluding to Countess d'Isorella in
those terms."

Carlo stretched his arms like a man who cannot hide the yawning fit.

"I promised my wife five minutes, though we have had the worst of the
parting over. Perhaps you will wait for me; I may have a word to say."

He was absent for little more than the space named. When he returned, he
was careful to hide his face. He locked the door, and leading Merthyr to
an inner room, laid his watch on