door, therefore, the ruffians within might not only escape themselves,
but carry off their prisoner. The door was strong, and before our
entrance could be forced, all trace of her we sought might be lost.
Again, too, the prince was desirous of bringing Peschiera's guilty design
home to him,--anxious to be able to state to the emperor, and to the
great minister his kinsman, that he himself had witnessed the count's
vile abuse of the emperor's permission to wed your daughter. In short,
while I only thought of Violante, the prince thought also of her father's
recall to his dukedom. Yet, still to leave Violante in that terrible
house, even for an hour, a few minutes, subjected to the actual presence
of Peschiera, unguarded save by the feeble and false woman who had
betrayed and might still desert her--how contemplate that fearful risk?
What might not happen in the interval between Peschiera's visit to the
house and his appearance with his victim on the vessel? An idea flashed
on me: Beppo was to conduct the count to the house; if I could accompany
Beppo in disguise, enter the house, myself be present?--I rushed back to
our informant, now become our agent; I found the plan still more feasible
than I had at first supposed. Beppo had asked the count's permission to
bring with him a brother accustomed to the sea, and who wished to quit
England. I might personate that brother. You know that the Italian
language, in most of its dialects and varieties of patois--Genoese,
Piedmontese, Venetian--is as familiar tome as Addison's English! Alas!
rather more so. Presto! the thing was settled. I felt my heart, from
that moment, as light as a feather, and my sense as keen as the dart
which a feather wings. My plans now were formed in a breath, and
explained in a sentence. It was right that you should be present on
board the vessel, not only to witness your foe's downfall, but to receive
your child in a father's arms. Leonard set out to Norwood for you,
cautioned not to define too precisely for what object you were wanted,
till on board.