ot at all sure that I don't owe my life
to Captain Dieppe." And she bestowed on the Captain a very kindly
glance. The Count turned to speak to his wife. Lucia nodded sharply
at the Captain.

"You were--er--returning from Rome?" he asked.

"From visiting the Bishop of Mesopotamia," called the Countess.

"Yes," said Lucia. "I should never have got across but for you."

"But tell me about yourself, Dieppe," said the Count. "You 're really
in a sad state, my dear fellow."

The Captain felt that the telling of his story was ticklish work. The
Count sat down on the sofa; the two ladies stood behind it, their eyes
were fixed on the Captain in warning glances.

"Well, I got a message from a fellow to-night to meet him on the hill
outside the village--by the Cross there, you know. I fancied I knew
what he wanted, so I went."

"That was after you parted from me, I suppose?" asked Emilia.

"Yes," said the Captain, boldly. "It was as I supposed. He was after
my papers. There was another fellow with him. I--I don't know who--"

"Well, I daresay he did n't mention his name," suggested Lucia.

"No, no, he did n't," agreed the Captain, hastily. "I knew only
Guillaume--and that name 's an alias of a certain M. Sevier, a police
spy, who had his reasons for being interested in me. Well, my dear
friend, Guillaume tried to bribe me. Then with the aid of--" Just in
time the Captain checked himself--"of the other rascal he--er--attacked
me--"

"All this was before you met me, I suppose?" inquired Lucia.

"Certainly, certainly," assented the Captain. "I had been pursuing the
second fellow. I chased him across the river--"

"You caught him!" cried the Count.

"No. He escaped me and made off in the direction of Sasellano."

"And the first one--this Guillaume?"

"When I got back he was gone," said the Captain. "But I bear marks of
a scratch which he gave me, you perceive."

He looked at the Count. The Count appeared excellently well satisfied
with the story. He looked at the ladies; they were smiling and nodding
approval.

"Deuce take it," thought the Captain, "I seem to have hit on the right
lies by chance!"

"All ends most happily," cried the Count. "Happily for you, my dear
friend, and most happily for me. And here is Lucia with us again too!
In truth it 's a most auspicious evening. I propose that we allow
Lucia time to change her travelling-dress, and Dieppe a few moments to
wash off the stains