I do not exaggerate. I have known her nearly two months now. I became
acquainted with her accidentally--she dropped her handkerchief in a
shop, and I took it to her, and so we got to be upon speaking terms,
and--and--But I need not give you the whole history. We have discovered
that we are all the world to each other; we have sworn to remain
faithful to each other all our lives long; and we renew the oath
whenever we meet. But that, unhappily, is very seldom! for her father,
the Marchese Marinelli, scarcely ever lets her out of his sight; and he
is a sour, narrow-minded old fellow, as proud as he is poor, an intense
hater of all Austrians; and if he were to discover our attachment, I
shudder to think of what the consequences might be."

"And your own father--the stern old general of whom you told me--what
would he say to it all?"

"Oh, he, of course, would not hear of such a marriage for a moment. He
detests and despises the Venetians as cordially as the marchese abhors
the _Tedeschi_; and, as I am entirely dependent upon him, I should not
dream of saying a word to him about the matter until I was married, and
nothing could be done to separate me from Bianca."

"So that, upon the whole, you appear to stand a very fair chance of
starvation, if everything turns out according to your wishes. And pray,
in what way do you imagine that I can assist you toward this desirable
end? For I take it for granted that you have some reason for letting me
into your secret."

Von Rosenau laughed good-humouredly.

"You form conclusions quickly," he said. "Well, I will confess to you