Egerton, and success to your election for Lansmere."




CHAPTER VII.

Peschiera had not been so inactive as he had appeared to Harley and the
reader. On the contrary, he had prepared the way for his ultimate
design, with all the craft and the unscrupulous resolution which belonged
to his nature. His object was to compel Riccabocca into assenting to the
count's marriage with Violante, or, failing that, to ruin all chance of
his kinsman's restoration. Quietly and secretly he had sought out,
amongst the most needy and unprincipled of his own countrymen, those whom
he could suborn to depose to Riccabocca's participation in plots and
conspiracies against the Austrian dominion. These his former connection
with the Carbonari enabled him to track to their refuge in London; and
his knowledge of the characters he had to deal with fitted him well for
the villanous task he undertook. He had, therefore, already selected out
of these desperadoes a sufficient number either to serve as witnesses
against his kinsman, or to aid him in any more audacious scheme which
circumstance might suggest to his adoption. Meanwhile, he had (as Harley
had suspected he would) set spies upon Randal's movements; and the day
before that young traitor confided to him Violante's retreat, he had at
least got scent of her father's.

The discovery that Violante was under a roof so honoured, and seemingly
so safe, as Lord Lansmere's, did not discourage this bold and desperate
adventurer. We have seen him set forth to reconnoitre the house at
Knightsbridge. He had examined it well, and discovered the quarter which