y pulse, laid her hand upon my brow, put a few
questions to me through the medium of her young mistress, and finally
pronounced that I was very much better, that the fever had left me, and
that all I should be likely henceforth to require would be careful
nursing and judicious nourishment. A sample of the latter, she
intimated, would be found in the substantial basin of broth which was
now placed before me, and which I was to be sure and consume to the last
drop.

I had not much difficulty in effecting a satisfactory disposal of the
meal, and when I had finished, my wounded arm was carefully dressed
afresh, and, to finish off with, I enjoyed as copious an ablution in
deliciously cold water as circumstances would permit; after which I was
left to myself with imperative orders to go to sleep again as soon as
possible. I passed a most comfortable night, sleeping pretty soundly
until broad daylight, when I awoke to find myself very much better in
every respect, and, not to weary my readers, I may say in a word that
from that time my improvement in health was both rapid and regular.

While partaking of a light breakfast on the morning following my return
to consciousness, my lovely young hostess informed me joyously that her
father had unexpectedly returned very late on the previous night, and
that he proposed paying me an early visit, if I felt strong enough to
see him.

I gladly assented to this proposal, for it suddenly flashed across my
mind that though by a series of accidents I had almost without an effort
of my own reached the place of my destination, my mission was still
unaccomplished; my bag, containing the all-important despatches, being
liable to discovery by the first visitor to the old hut, if indeed it
had not already been discovered; and the only chance which now remained
of its recovery was to describe as well as I could to the count, the
place of its concealment, and request him to despatch a trusty messenger
forthwith in quest of it.

Accordingly, as soon as breakfast was over, my wound dressed, and my
toilet attended to, the dark-eyed Angela was despatched with a message
to the count that I should be happy to see him as early as might be
consistent with his own convenience. A few minutes afterwards he
presented himself, and the ancient Maria, who had mounted guard _over_
me in the interval, was dismissed.

Count Lorenzo di Paoli was a fine, stalwart, soldierly-looking figure of
a man, dark-comple