nearly lost to all eyes for ever.

Laura's first letter stated brief facts. "She was stabbed this
afternoon, at half-past two, on the steps of her house, by a woman called
the wife of Barto Rizzo. She caught her hands up under her throat when
she saw the dagger. Her right arm was penetrated just above the wrist,
and half-an-inch in the left breast, close to the centre bone. She
behaved firmly. The assassin only struck once. No visible danger; but
you should come, if you have no serious work."

"Happily," ran the subsequent letter, of two days' later date, "the
assassin was a woman, and one effort exhausts a woman; she struck only
once, and became idiotic. Sandra has no fever. She had her wits ready
--where were mine?--when she received the wound. While I had her in my
arms, she gave orders that the woman should be driven out of the city in
her carriage. The Greek, her mad musical adorer, accuses Countess
d'Isorella. Carlo has seen this person--returns convinced of her
innocence. That is not an accepted proof; but we have one. It seems
that Rizzo (Sandra was secret about it and about one or two other things)
sent to her commanding her to appoint an hour detestable style! I can
see it now; I fear these conspiracies no longer:--she did appoint an
hour; and was awaiting him when the gendarmes sprang on the man at her
door.

"He had evaded them several weeks, so we are to fancy that his wife
charged Countess Alessandra with the betrayal. This appears a reasonable
and simple way of accounting for the deed. So I only partly give credit
to it. But it may be true.

"The wound has not produced a shock to her system--very, very