house this morning, while you and your
accomplice were talking together," said the
doctor.

D'Arbino had been watching Brigida's
face intently from the moment of Nanina's
appearance, and had quietly stolen close
to her side. This was a fortunate movement;
for the doctor's last words were hardly
out of his mouth before Brigida seized a
heavy ruler lying, with some writing
materials, on the table. In another instant, if
d'Arbino had not caught her arm, she would
have hurled it at Nanina's head.

"You may let go your hold, sir," she said,
dropping the ruler, and turning towards
d'Arbino with a smile on her white lips and
a wicked calmness in her steady eyes. "I
can wait for a better opportunity."

With these words, she walked to the door;
and, turning round there, regarded Nanina
fixedly.

"I wish I had been a moment quicker
with the ruler," she said, and went out.

"There! " exclaimed the doctor: " I told
you I knew how to deal with her as she
deserved. One thing I am certainly obliged to
her for: she has saved us the trouble of
going to her house, and forcing her to give
up the mask. And now, my child," he
continued, addressing Nanina, " you can go
home, and one of the men servants shall see
you safe to your own door, in case that
woman should still be lurking about the
palace. Stop! you are leaving the bag of
scudi behind you."

"I can't take it, sir," said Nanina, very
quietly and firmly.

"And why not ? "

"She would have taken money! " she said,
reddening, and looking towards the door.

The doctor glanced approvingly at
d'Arbino. " Well, well, we won't argue about
that now," he said. "I will lock up the
money with the mask for to-day. Come here
to-morrow morning as usual, my dear. By
that time I shall have made up my mind on
the right means for breaking your discovery
to Count Fabio. Only let us proceed slowly
and cautiously, and I answer for success."

The next morning, among the first visitors
at the Ascoli Palace was the master-sculptor,
Luca Lomi. He seemed, as the servants
thought, agitated, and said he was especially
desirous of seeing Count Fabio. On being
informed that this was impossible, he reflected a
little, and then inquired if the medical
attendant of the Count was at the palace, and
could be spoken with. Both questions were
answered in the affirmative, and he was
ushered into the doctor's presence. '*

"I know not how to preface what I
want to say," Luca began, looking about him
confusedly. " May I ask you, in the first
place, if the work-girl, named Nanina, was
here yesterday ? "

"She was," said the doctor.

"Did she speak in private with any one?"

"Yes; with me."

"Then, you know everything ?"

"Absolutely everything."

"I am glad at least to find that my object
in wishing to see the count can be equally
well answered by seeing you. My brother, I
regret to say—- " He stopped perplexedly,
and drew from his pocket a roll of papers.

"You may speak of your brother in the
plainest terms," said the doctor. " I know
what share he has had in promoting the
infamous conspiracy of the Yellow Mask."

"My petition to you, and through you to
the count, is, that your knowledge of what
my brother has done may go no further. If
this scandal becomes public it will ruin me
in my profession. And I make little enough
by it already," said Luca, with his old sordid
smile breaking out again faintly on his face.

"Pray, do you come from your brother
with this petition? " inquired the doctor.

"No; I come solely on my own account.
My brother seems careless what happens.
He has made a full statement of his share in
the matter from the first; has forwarded it
to his ecclesiastical superior (who will send it
to the archbishop), and is now awaiting whatever
sentence they choose to pass on him. I
have a copy of the document, to prove that
he has at least been candid, and that he does
not shrink from consequences which he might
have avoided by flight. The Law cannot
touch him, but the church can — and to the
church he has confessed. All I ask is, that
he may be spared a public exposure. Such
an exposure would do no good to the
count, and it would do dreadful injury to
me. Look over the papers yourself, and
show them, whenever you think proper, to the
master of this house. I have every confidence
in his honour and kindness, and in
yours."

He laid the roll of papers open on the
table, and then retired with great humility
to the window. The doctor looked over them
with some curiosity.

The statement or confession began by
boldly avowing the writer's conviction that
part of the property which the Count Fabio
d' Ascoli had inherited from his ancestors had
been obtained by fraud and misrepresentation,
from the church. The various authorities on
which this assertion was based were then
produced in due order; along with some
curious particles of evidence culled from old
manuscripts, which it must have cost much
trouble to collect and decypher.

The second section was devoted, at great
length, to the reasons which induced the
writer to think it his absolute duty, as an
affectionate son and faithful servant of the
church, not to rest until he had restored to
the successors of the Apostles, in his day, the
property which had been fraudulently taken
from them in days gone by. The writer held
himself justified, in the last resort, and in that
only, in using any means for effecting this