e Emperor.

On her part, the young girl made no secret of her gratitude to the
Count. The memory of his kindness to her father rendered her cordiality
perfectly natural.

Her attentions to Erwin were delicately prompted by a wish to make his
visit as agreeable as possible. With a keen appreciation of the
beauties of nature, she knew how to select the fairest landscapes, and
would point out to her guest all the most brilliant effects of light
and shade among the lofty crags.

After a week had passed in amusements of this kind, on their return
from a neighboring excursion, Hermengarde and the Count found the
court-yard filled with horses and men-at-arms fraternizing, cordially,
with her father's retainers. Evidently some persons of importance had
arrived, but the appearance of their steeds denoted that the visit was
to be a brief one.

As they crossed the court, Hermengarde remarked a familiar face among
the troopers; the man looked up, and, putting down the goblet from
which he was drinking, approached with a respectful bow. She at once
recognized Cocco Griffi, whom she had known as a confidential servant
of the Milanese consul Gherardo Nigri, in whose palace he was often
intrusted with many important duties.

"Is that you, Griffi?" she asked. "Whence come you?"

"From Milan."

"And whose suite is this?"

"It belongs to our noble Consul Gherardo Nigri--your old friend,--if I
may still venture to call him so?" added Griffi, seeing Hermengarde's
expression change.

A marriage between herself and Pietro had long been projected by the
heads of the two families; but, in spite of her father's anxiety for
their union, it was repugnant to her, and she hurriedly retired to her
own apartments, with a heavy heart. Still, for the present, the
businesslike appearance of the little troop seemed a guarantee against
the realization of her fears.

Gherardo Nigri, the leading spirit of the Milanese Republic, had been
hastily recalled from Genoa, where he had been for some time
negotiating an alliance, offensive and defensive, between the two
cities. The report of the immediate advance of the Emperor's powerful
army greatly discouraged him; for, fully penetrating Barbarossa's
designs, he foresaw, in a not far distant future, the fall, and perhaps
the total destruction, of his proud city. Similar fears agitated all
those who had accompanied him to Castellamare. Among them was one, in
ecclesiastical costume, whose exterior indi