Pierson with
the ladies in front of the hotel; he had followed the English carriage,
which took up a man who was standing ready on crutches at the corner
of the Laubengasse, and drove rapidly out of the North-western gate,
leading to Schlanders and Mals and the Engadine. He had witnessed the
transfer of the crippled man from one carriage to another, and had
raised shouts and given hue and cry, but the intervention of the storm
had stopped his pursuit.

He was proceeding to say what his suppositions were. Count Lenkenstein
lifted his finger for Wilfrid to follow him out of the room. Count
Serabiglione went at their heels. Then Count Lenkenstein sent for his
wife, whom Anna and Lena accompanied.

"How many persons are you going to ruin in the course of your crusade,
my dear?" the duchess said to Laura.

"Dearest, I am penitent when I succeed," said Laura.

"If that young man has been assisting you, he is irretrievably ruined."

"I am truly sorry for him."

"As for me, the lectures I shall get in Vienna are terrible to think
of. This is the consequence of being the friend of both parties, and a
peace-maker."

Count Serabiglione returned alone from the scene at the examination,
rubbing his hands and nodding affably to his daughter. He maliciously
declined to gratify the monster of feminine curiosity in the lump, and
doled out the scene piecemeal. He might state, he observed, that it was
he who had lured Beppo to listen at the door during the examination
of the prisoners; and who had then planted a spy on him--following
the dictation of precepts exceedingly old. "We are generally beaten,
duchess; I admit it; and yet we generally contrive to show the brain. As
I say, wed brains to brute force!--but my Laura prefers to bring about
a contest instead of an union, so that somebody is certain to be struck,
and"--the count spread out his arms and bowed his head--"deserves the
blow." He informed them that Count Lenkenstein had ordered Lieutenant
Pierson down to Meran, and that the lieutenant might expect to be
cashiered within five days. "What does it matter?" he addressed
Vittoria. "It is but a shuffling of victims; Lieutenant Pierson in the
place of Guidascarpi! I do not object."

Count Lenkenstein withdrew his wife and sisters from Sonnenberg
instantly. He sent an angry message of adieu to the duchess, informing
her that he alone was responsible for the behaviour of the ladies of his
family. The poor duchess wept. "This