you are wasting on my lap. Be sure that if he denounces Angelo, Angelo's
life cries out against you. You have but to quicken your brain to save
him. Did he expose his life for you or not? I knew that he was in
Meran," the signora continued sadly. "The paper which frightened the
silly peasants, revealed to me that he was there, needing help. I told
you Angelo was under an evil star. I thought my day to-morrow would be
a day of scheming. The task has become easy, if you will."

"Be merciful; the task is dreadful," said Vittoria.

"The task is simple. You have an instrument ready to your hands. You
can do just what you like with him--make an Italian of him; make him
renounce his engagement to this pert little Lena of Lenkenstein, break
his sword, play Arlecchino, do what you please. He is not required for
any outrageous performance. A week, and Angelo will have recovered his
strength; you likewise may resume the statuesque demeanour which you have
been exhibiting here. For the space of one week you are asked for some
natural exercise of your wits and compliancy. Hitherto what have you
accomplished, pray?" Laura struck spitefully at Vittoria's degraded
estimation of her worth as measured by events. "You have done nothing--
worse than nothing. It gives me horrors to find it necessary to entreat
you to look your duty in the face and do it, that even three or four
Italian hearts--Carlo among them--may thank you. Not Carlo, you say?"
(Vittoria had sobbed, "No, not Carlo.") "How little you know men! How
little do you think how the obligations of the hour should affect a
creature deserving life! Do you fancy that Carlo wishes you to be for
ever reading the line of a copy-book and shaping your conduct by it? Our
Italian girls do this; he despises them. Listen to me; do not I know
what is meant by the truth of love? I pass through fire, and keep
constant to it; but you have some vile Romance of Chivalry in your head;