weakness I confided my secret to her, I have had 'my rank' thrown at me,
--with a careless hand, it is true, but it hits hard nevertheless. No
stone hurts like one taken from the ruins of one's own home; and the
grander the home, why, the heavier the stone! Protect, dear madam,
protect my daughter, since her father doubts his own power to do so.
But--ask no more."

Riccabocca was immovable here; and the matter was settled as he decided,
it being agreed that Violante should be still styled but the daughter of
Dr. Riccabocca.

"And now, one word more," said Harley. "Do not confide to Mr. Leslie
these arrangements; do not let him know where Violante is placed,--at
least, until I authorize such confidence in him. It is sufficient excuse
that it is no use to know unless he called to see her, and his movements,
as I said before, may be watched. You can give the same reason to
suspend his visits to yourself. Suffer me, meanwhile, to mature my
judgment on this young man. In the meanwhile, also, I think that I shall
have means of ascertaining the real nature of Peschiera's schemes. His
sister has sought to know me; I will give her the occasion. I have heard
some things of her in my last residence abroad, which make me believe
that she cannot be wholly the count's tool in any schemes nakedly
villanous; that she has some finer qualities in her than I once supposed;
and that she can be won from his influence. It is a state of war; we
will carry it into the enemy's camp. You will promise me, then, to
refrain from all further confidence in Mr. Leslie?"

"For the present, yes," said Riccabocca, reluctantly.

"Do not even say that you have seen me, unless he first tell you that I