rary, I am
relieved from my fears. The alarm was baseless. I have it not, I thank
Heaven. I have not the disease. Nor, if there be any certainty in
medicine, shall have it."

The Syndic, alas for human nature, could have struck him in the face!

"You have it not?" he snarled. "You have it not?" And then regaining
control of himself, "I suppose I ought," with a forced and ghastly
smile, "to felicitate you on your escape."

"Rather to felicitate yourself," Basterga answered. "Or so I had hoped
two days ago."

"Myself?"

"Yes," Basterga replied lightly. "For as soon as I found that I had no
need of the _remedium_, I thought of you. That was natural. And it
occurred to me--nay, calm yourself!"

"Quick! Quick!

"Nay, calm yourself, my dear Messer Blondel," Basterga repeated with
outward solicitude and inward amusement. "Be calm, or you will do
yourself an injury; you will indeed! In your state you should be
prudent; you should govern yourself--one never knows. And besides, the
thought, to which I refer--I see you recognise what it was----"

"Yes! yes! Go on! Go on!"

"Proved futile."

"Futile?"

"Yes, I am sorry to say it. Futile."

"Futile!" The wretched man's voice rose almost to a scream as he
repeated the word. He rose and sat down again. "Then how did you--why
did you----" He stopped, fighting for words, and, unable to frame them,
clutched the air with his hands. A moment he mouthed dumbly, then "Tell
me!" he gasped. "Speak, man, speak! How was it? Cannot you see--that you
are killing me?"

Basterga saw indeed that he had gone nearer to it than he had intended:
for a moment the starting eyes and purple face alarmed him. In all
haste, he gave up playing with the others fears. "It occurred to me," he
said, "that as I no longer needed the medicine myself, there was only
the Grand Duke to be considered, I thought that he might be willing to
waive his claim, since he is as yet free from the disease. And four
days ago I despatched a messenger whom I could trust to him at Turin. I
had hopes of a favourable reply, and in that event, I should not have
lost a minute in waiting upon you. For I am bound to say, Messer
Blondel"--the big man rubbed his chin and eyed the other
benevolently--"your case appealed to me in an especial manner. I felt
myself moved, I scarcely know why, to do all I could on your behalf.
Alas, the answer dashed my hopes."

"What was it?" Blondel's voice sounded hollow and unnatural. Sunk i