nded Vajdar so furiously that Blanka recoiled
involuntarily. "Only one person could have been your informant, and I
know who that person is. I shall have my revenge on both of you for
this!"

With that he was gone, hurrying out of the room and out of the hotel as
if pursued by a legion of devils. Beppo came running to his mistress,
and seemed surprised not to find her lying in her blood on the floor
with half a dozen dagger-thrusts in her bosom.

"Well," he exclaimed, "whoever that man may be, I shouldn't like to meet
him on a dark night in a narrow street."

Blanka told her servant that if the gentleman who had just left ever
called again, she should not be at home to him. Then she sent her
obedient Beppo away, as she wished to be alone. First of all, she must
ponder the meaning of those mysterious words that had proved so potent
in routing her enemy. She could hardly wait for her lawyer to return, so
eager was she to question him in the matter.

"Well," began the advocate on entering, "what have you accomplished?"

"I have not made peace."

"Why not?"

"Because it would have cost more than war. All negotiations are broken
off. Read this letter."

"A devilish plot!" cried the lawyer wrathfully. "But they are fully
capable of carrying it out, all three of them. Did you show this to
Vajdar?"

"Yes."

"And was that why he ran out of the hotel in such an extraordinary
manner that the very waiters felt tempted to seize him at the door?"

"They had no such thought, I'll warrant," returned Blanka. "They are all
in his pay. To-morrow I leave this place. You must find me a private
dwelling."

"I have one for you already. The Rossis are moving out of the embassy,
and have engaged a private house. They invite you to share their new
quarters with them. There is ample room."

"Oh, how fortunate for me!"

"And yet the affair is not so altogether fortunate, after all. Rossi has
fallen from favour, and with his fall the whole liberal party loses its
influence at the Vatican."

But what did the princess care for the liberal party at that moment? She
was thinking of the lucky chance that had made it possible for her to
meet Manasseh again--at the house of their common friends.

"Now I must beg you," said she, changing the subject, "to press my suit
as diligently as possible. But first let me ask you a question. You are
thoroughly familiar with the marriage laws of the Romish Church, aren't
you?"

"I know them as