"I thank your Lordship; but since I presume that I shall no longer have
the travelling companion who alone could make the voyage attractive, I
shall return to shore, and will simply request you to inform me at what
hour you can receive the friend whom I shall depute to discuss that part
of the question yet untouched, and to arrange that the atonement, whether
it be due from me or yourself, may be rendered as satisfactory as you
have condescended to make the explanation."

"Let not that vex you, Monsieur le Comte; the atonement is, in much, made
already; so anxious have I been to forestall all that your nice sense of
honour would induce so complete a gentleman to desire. You have ensnared
a young heiress, it is true; but you see that it was only to restore her
to the arms of her father. You have juggled an illustrious kinsman out
of his heritage; but you have voluntarily come on board this vessel,
first, to enable his Highness the Prince Von ------, of whose rank at the
Austrian Court you are fully aware, to state to your emperor that he
himself has been witness of the manner in which you interpreted his
Imperial Majesty's assent to your nuptials with a child of one of the
first subjects in his Italian realm; and, next, to commence by an
excursion to the seas of the Baltic the sentence of banishment which I
have no doubt will accompany the same act that restores to the chief of
your House his lands and his honours."

The count started.

"That restoration," said the Austrian prince, who had advanced to
Harley's side, "I already guarantee. Disgrace that you are, Giulio
Franzini, to the nobles of the Empire, I will not leave my royal master
till his hand strike your name from the roll. I have here your own
letters, to prove that your kinsman was duped by yourself into the revolt