and tireless delicacy of management. The presence of the Chief, whom we
have seen on the Motterone, was claimed by other cities of Italy. Unto
him solely did Barto Rizzo yield thorough adhesion. He being absent from
Milan, Barto undertook to represent him and carry out his views. How far
he was entitled to do so may be guessed when it is stated that, on the
ground of his general contempt for women, he objected to the proposition
that Vittoria should give the signal. The proposition was Agostino's.
Count Medole, Barto, and Agostino discussed it secretly: Barto held
resolutely against it, until Agostino thrust a sly-handed letter into his
fingers and let him know that previous to any consultation on the subject
he had gained the consent of his Chief. Barto then fell silent. He
despatched his new spy, Luigi, to the Motterone, more for the purpose of
giving him a schooling on the expedition, and on his return from it, and
so getting hand and brain and soul service out of him. He expected no
such a report of Vittoria's indiscretion as Luigi had spiced with his one
foolish lie. That she should tell the relatives of an Austrian officer
that Milan was soon to be a dangerous place for them;--and that she
should write it on paper and leave it for the officer to read,--left her,
according to Barto's reading of her, open to the alternative charges of
imbecility or of treachery. Her letter to the English lady, the Austrian
officer's sister, was an exaggeration of the offence, but lent it more
the look of heedless folly. The point was to obtain sight of her letter
to the Austrian officer himself. Barto was baffled during a course of
anxious days that led closely up to the fifteenth. She had written no
letter. Lieutenant Pierson, the officer in question, had ridden into the
city once from Verona, and had called upon Antonio-Pericles to extract
her address from him; the Greek had denied that she was in Milan. Luigi
could tell no more. He described the officer's personal appearance, by
saying that he was a recognizable Englishman in Austrian dragoon
uniform;--white tunic, white helmet, brown moustache;--ay! and eh! and