The night was moonless, with cold dashes of rain, and though the streetsof Turin were well-lit no lantern-ray reached the windings of the lanebehind the Corpus Domini.

　　As Odo, alone under the wall of the church, awaited his friend'sarrival, he wondered what risk had constrained the reckless Alfieri tosuch unwonted caution. Italy was at that time a vast network ofespionage, and the Piedmontese capital passed for one of thebest-policed cities in Europe; but even on a moonless night the lawdistinguished between the noble pleasure-seeker and the obscuredelinquent whose fate it was to pay the other's shot. Odo knew that hewould probably be followed and his movements reported to theauthorities; but he was almost equally certain that there would be noactive interference in his affairs. What chiefly puzzled him wasAlfieri's insistence that Cantapresto should not be privy to theadventure. The soprano had long been the confidant of his pupil'sescapades, and his adroitness had often been of service in intriguessuch as that on which Odo now fancied himself engaged. The place, again,perplexed him: a sober quarter of convents and private dwellings, in thevery eye of the royal palace, scarce seeming the theatre for a lightadventure. These incongruities revived his former wonder; nor was thisdispelled by Alfieri's approach.

　　The poet, masked and unattended, rejoined his friend without a word; andOdo guessed in him an eye and ear alert for pursuit. Guided by thepressure of his arm, Odo was hurried round the bend of the lane, up atransverse alley and across a little square lost between high shutteredbuildings. Alfieri, at his first word, gripped his arm with a backwardglance; then urged him on under the denser blackness of an archedpassage-way, at the end of which an oil-light glimmered. Here a gate ina wall confronted them. It opened at Alfieri's tap and Odo scented wetbox-borders and felt the gravel of a path under foot. The gate was atonce locked behind them and they entered the ground-floor of a house asdark as the garden. Here a maid-servant of close aspect met them with alamp and preceded them upstairs to a bare landing hung with charts andportulani. On Odo's flushed anticipations this antechamber, which seemedthe approach to some pedant's cabinet, had an effect undeniablychilling; but Alfieri, heedless of his surprise, had cast off cloak andmask, and now led the way into a long conventual-looking room lined withbook-shelves. A knot of middle-aged gentlemen of sober dress and manner,gathered about a cabinet of fossils in the centre of this apartment,looked up at the entrance of the two friends; then the group divided,and Odo with a start recognised the girl he had seen on the road to theSuperga.

　　She bowed gravely to the young men. "My father," said she, in a clearvoice without trace of diffidence, "has gone to his study for a book,but will be with you in a moment."She wore a dress in keeping with her manner, its black stuff folds andthe lawn kerchief crossed on her bosom giving height and authority toher slight figure. The dark unpowdered hair drawn back over a cushionmade a severer setting for her face than the fluctuating brim of hershade-hat; and this perhaps added to the sense of estrangement withwhich Odo gazed at her; but she met his look with a smile, and instantlythe rosy girl flashed through her grave exterior.

　　"Here is my father," said she; and her companion of the previous daystepped into the room with several folios under his arm.

　　Alfieri turned to Odo. "This, my dear Odo," said he, "is mydistinguished friend, Professor Vivaldi, who has done us the honour ofinviting us to his house." He took the Professor's hand. "I have broughtyou," he continued, "the friend you were kind enough to include in yourinvitation--the Cavaliere Odo Valsecca."Vivaldi bowed. "Count Alfieri's friends," said he, "are always welcometo my house; though I fear there is here little to interest a younggentleman of the Cavaliere Valsecca's years." And Odo detected a shadeof doubt in his glance.

　　"The Cavaliere Valsecca," Alfieri smilingly rejoined, "is above hisyears in wit and learning, and I answer for his interest as I do for hisdiscretion."The Professor bowed again. "Count Alfieri, sir," he said, "has doubtlessexplained to you the necessity that obliges me to be so private inreceiving my friends; and now perhaps you will join these gentlemen inexamining some rare fossil fish newly sent me from the Monte Bolca."Odo murmured a civil rejoinder; but the wonder into which the sight ofthe young girl had thrown him was fast verging on stupefaction. Whatmystery was here? What necessity compelled an elderly professor toreceive his scientific friends like a band of political conspirators?

　　How above all, in the light of the girl's presence, was Odo to interpretAlfieri's extravagant allusions to the nature of their visit?

　　The company having returned to the cabinet of fossils, none seemed toobserve his disorder but the young lady who was its cause; and seeinghim stand apart she advanced with a smile, saying, "Perhaps you wouldrather look at some of my father's other curiosities."Simple as the words were, they failed to restore Odo's self-possession,and for a moment he made no answer. Perhaps she partly guessed the causeof his commotion; yet it was not so much her beauty that silenced him,as the spirit that seemed to inhabit it. Nature, in general so chary ofher gifts, so prone to use one good feature as the palliation of a dozendeficiencies, to wed the eloquent lip with the ineffectual eye, hadindeed compounded her of all fine meanings, making each grace thecomplement of another and every outward charm expressive of some inwardquality. Here was as little of the convent-bred miss as of the flippantand vapourish fine lady; and any suggestion of a less fair alternativevanished before such candid graces. Odo's confusion had in truth sprungfrom Alfieri's ambiguous hints; and these shrivelling to nought in thegaze that encountered his, constraint gave way to a sense of wonderingpleasure.

　　"I should like to see whatever you will show me," said he, as simply asone child speaking to another; and she answered in the same tone, "Thenwe'll glance at my father's collections before the serious business ofthe evening begins."With these words she began to lead him about the room, pointing out andexplaining the curiosities it contained. It was clear that, like manyscholars of his day, Professor Vivaldi was something of an eclectic inhis studies, for while one table held a fine orrery, a cabinet of coinsstood near, and the book-shelves were surmounted by specimens of coraland petrified wood. Of all these rarities his daughter had a word tosay, and though her explanations were brief and without affectation ofpedantry, they put her companion's ignorance to the blush. It must beowned, however, that had his learning been a match for hers it wouldhave stood him in poor stead at the moment; his faculties being lost inthe wonder of hearing such discourse from such lips. To his complimentson her erudition she returned with a smile that what learning she hadwas no merit, since she had been bred in a library; to which shesuddenly added:--"You are not unknown to me, Cavaliere; but I neverthought to see you here."The words renewed her hearer's surprise; but giving him no time toreply, she went on in a lower tone:--"You are young and the world isfair before you. Have you considered that before risking yourself amongus?"She coloured under Odo's wondering gaze, and at his random rejoindertha............