e or stab in
the purlieus of Genoa, not worth one month's sobriety? But you must
needs for the sake of a single night's debauch ruin me and get yourself
broken on the wheel!"

Grio shrank under his eye. "There is no harm done," he muttered at last.
"Nobody suspects what is between us."

"How do you know that?" came the retort. "What? You think it is natural
Blondel should favour such as you?"

"It will not be the first time Geneva cloak has covered Genoa velvet!"

"Velvet!" Basterga repeated with a sneer. "Rags rather!" And then more
quickly, "But that is not all, nor the half. Do you think Blondel, who
is on the point, Blondel, who will and will not and on whom all must
turn, Blondel the upright, the impeccable, the patriotic, without whom
we can do nothing, and who, I tell you, hangs in the balance--do you
think he likes it, blockhead? Or is the more inclined to trust his life
with us when he sees us brawlers, toss-pots, common swillers? Do you
think he on whom I am bringing to bear all the resources of this
brain--this!"--and again the big man tapped his forehead with tragic
earnestness--"and whom you could as much move to side with us as you
could move yonder peak of the Jura from its base--do you think he will
deem better of our part for this?"

"Well, no."

"No! No, a thousand times!"

"But I count drunk the same as sober for that!" Grio cried, plucking up
spirit and speaking with a gleam of defiance in his eye. "For it is my
opinion that you have no more chance of moving him than I have! And so
to be plain you have it, Messer Basterga. For how are you going to move
him? With what? Tell me that!"

"Ah!"

"With money?" Grio continued with a fluency which showed he spoke on a
subject to which he had given much thought. "He is rich and ten thousand
crowns would not buy him. And the Grand Duke, much as he craves Geneva,
will not spend over boldly."

"No, I shall not move him with money."

"With power and rank, then? Will the Grand Duke make him Governor of
Geneva? No, for he dare not trust him. And less than that, what is it to
Syndic Blondel, whose word to-day is all but law in Geneva?"

"No, nor with power," Basterga answered quietly.

"Is it with revenge, then? There are men I know who love revenge. But he
is not of the south, and at such a risk revenge were dearly bought."

"No, nor with revenge," Basterga replied.

"A woman, then? For that is all that is left," Grio rejoined in triumph.
Once h