e married, she
would--But how do you stand now with the marchesa? Has she consented to
accept you?"

"Not quite; indeed I have not actually proposed. Her manner, though much
softened, has not so far emboldened me; and, besides, before a positive
declaration, I certainly must go down to the Hall and speak at least to
my mother."

"You must judge for yourself, but don't do anything rash: talk first to
me. Here we are at my office. Good-by; and--and pray believe that, in
whatever you do with Levy, I have no hand in it."

CHAPTER XI.

Towards the evening, Randal was riding fast on the road to Norwood. The
arrival of Harley, and the conversation that had passed between that
nobleman and Randal, made the latter anxious to ascertain how far
Riccabocca was likely to learn L'Estrange's return to England, and to
meet with him. For he felt that, should the latter come to know that
Riccabocca, in his movements, had gone by Randal's advice. Harley would
find that Randal had spoken to him disingenuously; and on the other
hand, Riccabocca, placed under the friendly protection of Lord
L'Estrange, would no longer need Randal Leslie to defend him from the
machinations of Peschiera. To a reader happily unaccustomed to dive
into the deep and mazy recesses of a schemer's mind, it might seem that
Randal's interest in retaining a hold over the exile's confidence would
terminate with the assurances that had reached him, from more than
one quarter, that Violante might cease to be an heiress if she
married himself. "But perhaps," suggests some candid and youthful
conjecturer,--"perhaps Randal Leslie is in love with this fair
creature?" Randal in love!--no! He was too absorbed by harder passions
for that blissful folly. Nor, if he could have fallen in love, was
Violante the one to attract that sullen, secret heart; her instinctive
nobleness, the very stateliness of her beauty, womanlike though it was,
awed him. Men of that kind may love some soft slave,--they cannot lift
their eyes to a queen. They may look down,--they cannot lookup. But on
the one hand, Randal could not resign altogether the chance of securing
a fortune that would realize his most dazzling dreams, upon the mere
assurance, however probable, which had so dismayed him; and on the other
hand, should he be compelled to relinquish all idea of such alliance,
though he did not contemplate the base perfidy of actually assisting
Peschiera's avowed designs, still, if Frank's mar