up for the journey, when the Count
was announced and shown in. "Excuse me, Count," said I, "for receiving
you so informally, but I have a hasty summons to call me back to
England, and no time to spare."

"I will, notwithstanding, ask you for some of that time, all precious as
it is," said he in French, and with a serious gravity that I had never
observed in him before.

"Well, sir," said I, stiffly; "I am at your orders."

It is now seventeen long years since that interview, and I am free to
own that I have not even yet attained to sufficient calm and temper
to relate what took place. I can but give the substance of our
conversation. It is not over-pleasant to dwell on, but it was to this
purport:--The Count had come to inform me that, without any intention or
endeavour on his part, he had gained Mrs O'Dowd's affections and won her
heart! Yes, much-valued reader, he made this declaration to me, sitting
opposite to me at the fire, as coolly and unconcernedly as if he was
apologising for having carried off my umbrella by mistake. It is true,
he was most circumstantial in showing that all the ardour was on one
side, and that he, throughout the whole adventure, conducted himself
as became a Gran' Galantuomo, and the friend of Gioberti, whatever that
might mean.

My amazement--I might almost call it my stupefaction--at the
unparalleled impudence of the man, so overcame me, that I listened to
him without an effort at interruption.

"I have come to you, therefore, to-day," said he, "to give up her
letters."

"Her letters!" exclaimed I; "and she has written to you!"

"Twenty-three times in all," said he, calmly, as he drew a large black
pocket-book from his breast, and took out a considerable roll of papers.
"The earlier ones are less interesting," said he, turning them over. "It
is about here, No. 14, that they begin to develop feeling. You see she
commences to call me 'Caro Animale'--she meant to say Annibale, but,
poor dear! she mistook. No. 15 is stronger--'Animale Mio'--the same
error; and here, in No. 17, she begins, 'Diletto del mio cuore, quando
non ti vedo, non ti sento, il cielo stesso, non mi sorride piu. Il mio
Tiranno'--that was _you_."

I caught hold of the poker with a convulsive grasp, but quick as thought
he bounded back behind the table, and drew out a pistol, and cocked it.
I saw that Gioberti's friend had his wits about him, and resumed the
conversation by remarking that the documents he had shown