forget
his desire to be rid of her. 'Your courage sets you flying at once at
every fioritura and bravura passage, to subdue, not to learn: not to
accomplish, but to conquer it. And the ability, let me say, is not in
proportion to the courage, which is probably too great to be easily
equalled; but you have the opportunity to make your part celebrated
to-morrow night, if, as you tell me, the house is to be packed with
Viennese, and, signorina, you let your hair down.'

The hair of Irma di Karski was of singular beauty, and so dear to her
that the allusion to the triumphant feature of her person passed off
Rocco's irony in sugar.

'Addio! I shall astonish you before many hours have gone by,' she
said; and this time they bowed together, and the maestro tripped back
hurriedly, and shut his door.

Luigi's astonishment eclipsed his chagrin when he beheld the lady step
from her place, bidding the driver move away as if he carried a freight,
and indicating a position for him at the end of the street, with an
imperative sway and deflection of her hand. Luigi heard the clear thin
sound of a key dropped to her from one of the upper windows. She was
quick to seize it; the door opened stealthily to her, and she passed
out of sight without casting a look behind. 'That's a woman going to
discover a secret, if she can,' remarked the observer; meaning that
he considered the sex bad Generals, save when they have occasion to
preserve themselves secret; then they look behind them carefully enough.
The situation was one of stringent torment to a professional and natural
spy. Luigi lost count of minutes in his irritation at the mystery, which
he took as a personal offence. Some suspicion or wariness existed in
the lighted room, for the maestro threw up a window, and inspected the
street to right and left. Apparently satisfied he withdrew his head, and
the window was closed.

In a little while Vittoria's voice rose audible out of the stillness,
though she restrained its volume.

Its effect upon Luigi was to make him protest to her, whimpering with
pathos as if she heard and must be melted: 'Signorina! signorina, most
dear! for charity's sake! I am one of you; I am a patriot. Every man to
his trade, but my heart is all with you.' And so on, louder by fits, in
a running murmur, like one having his conscience ransacked, from which
he was diverted by a side-thought of Irma di Karski, la Lazzeruola,
listening, taking poison in at her ears; f