old friendship to Count Ammiani. His political
object was to persuade the Lombard youth to turn their whole strength
upon Rome. The desire of his heart was again to see her, who had been so
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
fortunately. On the whole, a better thing could not have happened. Should
I be more explicit? Yes, to you; for you are not of those who see too
much in what is barely said. The wound, then, my dear good friend, has
healed another wound, of which I knew nothing. Bergamasc and Brescian
friends of her husband's, have imagined that she interrupted or diverted
his studies. He also discovered that she had an opinion of her own, and
sometimes he consulted it; but alas! they are lovers, and he knew not
when love listened, or she when love spoke; and there was grave business
to be done meanwhile. Can you kindly allow that the ca