"Then repeat it in German; the same words, if you please."

"Do we meet again thus after eighty-seven years?"

"Twenty-seven, idiot! But the actual meeting?"

"It was such a confusion, monsieur! I could not distinguish anything in particular; it was impossible, monsieur!"

Giraldi shrugged his shoulders impatiently.

"If Count Golm calls, tell him that I am at home to him, and add that monsieur can only spare him a few minutes because he is himself expected in madame's salon. Then mention, casually, who is in the salon. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, monsieur."

"One thing more; I do not pay two hundred francs a month to people to whom anything is impossible. You must perfect yourself if you wish to remain any longer in my service."

"I will do everything to satisfy monsieur, and to prove myself worthy of the confidence with which monsieur honours me."

Francois bowed himself out of the door.

"That is to say," said Giraldi, "you have confided too much in me already to dare to send me away at a moment's notice. It is our misfortune that we cannot live without these creatures. In Machiavelli's time people took the precaution of not letting them live long. In these days one has to pay double without a.s.suring one's safety. Ah! the Count."

Francois had opened the door to Count Golm; the Count entered with hurried steps. He looked out of temper and absent; his att.i.tude and the tone of his voice showed the carelessness of the man of rank, who does not think it worth his while to conceal his dissatisfaction.

"I am sorry to disturb you," he said; "but I will not take up your time for long; I have only come to tell you that in all probability nothing will now come of our bargain."

"I should be sorry for that for your sake, Count," answered Giraldi.

"Why for my sake?"

"We make nothing by the bargain, Count Golm."

"Which is as much as to say that I should gain by it! I should be much obliged, sir, if you would tell me what."

"If the Count, who proposed the bargain, does not know, we cannot pretend to do so."

"And who are 'we,' if I may venture to ask, in this case; the trustees of the Warnow property, or yourself?"

"In this case the Baroness von Warnow, whom I have the honour to represent."

There was so much calm superiority in the Italian's coolly courteous manner, his black eyes shone with such a steady light, that the Count could not bear their glance and looked confusedly on the ground.

"I beg your pardon," he said; "I--I did not mean to offend you."

"And I am not offended," answered Giraldi; "I never am when I see that people vent on me the vexation which I have not caused; it is like a letter that has been addressed to me by mistake. Shall we sit down?"

The Count accepted the invitation unwillingly.

"I cannot, however, consider you exonerated from all blame; it was you who told me yesterday that it would not be difficult for me to raise the first instalment of the purchase-money. As I take it for granted that you are in a general way acquainted with my circ.u.mstances, and on the other hand, you have been so long intimate with the Councillor, I could not but believe that between him and you on the one side, and him and Herr Lubbener on the other, some conversation had taken place upon the matter in question, and that you were authorised by those gentlemen to make an advance to me in their names, which could not be made by the gentlemen themselves to whom I am to sell again, though only in their capacity as directors of the new railroad. Good! I went this morning to Lubbener; he professed great astonishment, said it was very strange, might create bad feeling if it were known that he had advanced the money, still--to please me, as I was determined to be the seller--in short, he made conditions--impossible, degrading conditions, I tell you--for which I could have horsewhipped the--the fellow! I went away furious, and went straight to Herr Philip Schmidt. Herr Schmidt, you must know--"

"I know--a merchant-captain, much thought of by the Werbens. The Councillor spoke to me about him."

Giraldi played with his watch-chain while he said these words in a careless, conversational tone, and looked up in astonishment when the Count exclaimed eagerly:

"Heaven forbid! What could I have to do with him! Herr Philip Schmidt is, as I learnt unfortunately too late, a cousin of that otherwise utterly insignificant fellow, who has, with incredible audacity, forced himself into the best circles; a man of no birth----"

"I beg your pardon; Herr Philip Schmidt then, to whom you went----"

"Is the contractor for the Berlin-Sundin Railroad, and is to build our line also--a successful man, fairly presentable, and immensely rich.

Polite reception, as I expected, a.s.surance on a.s.surance of meeting my wishes; but his money was tied up in every possible undertaking; his new house had cost him fearful sums; he must keep a balance in hand for the contract for our new railroad, and--in short, scarcely better conditions than those of Lubbener. Now you see how easily I can raise the half million which you demand as an instalment."

The Count pulled at his fair moustache; his pale blue eyes looked angrily at Giraldi. He made a motion to rise, but on a sign made by the latter with his white hand, remained sitting, as if rooted to his chair.

"I must again ask your pardon," said Giraldi "I thought I had made myself clear enough yesterday. I had forgotten that German ears are--I will not say duller than Italian, but different to them. I could otherwise have spared you an unpleasant morning; for what could be more unpleasant for a n.o.bleman than to be obliged to deal with crafty men of business, still more when these men, as is apparent, are in collusion!

I hope that with us you will be relieved from this and any other unpleasantness."

"'With us?' With you?" asked the Count in the greatest astonishment.

"I must again say 'we' and 'us,'" answered Giraldi, smiling; "for if I am myself only the manager, still the savings of an income of ten thousand thalers could not have increased to so large a sum without--what shall I say--some speculation by a lucky hand. For the last few years the money has been really lying idle, and I herewith offer it to the Count in the name of the Baroness."

The Count stared at Giraldi; but the man's dark eyes shone as calmly as before. It could not be a joke.

"In the name of the Baroness?"

"If it so pleases you."

"The entire half million?"

"As it appears to us--this time I mean the trustees--that the payment of half the purchase-money at once is necessary for the better regulation of the property."

"And the conditions?" asked the Count, after a short pause, with a somewhat hesitating voice.

Giraldi stroked his dark beard.

"We make really none, with the exception of one special condition, for the registration of the debt as a first mortgage on the property--which, as the Count knows, is quite free from debt--and the low interest of four per cent, can hardly be called conditions, but rather natural securities, which the Count----"

"Certainly, certainly," said the Count; "quite natural. And the special condition?"

"That the Count pledges his word of honour not to tell any one, be they who they may, or even to hint from whom he has obtained the money."

Giraldi held out his hand with a pleasant smile. "It is the hand of a friend, not of a usurer, that we hold out to you."

The Count was ashamed of his momentary hesitation. "There you have my hand and my word!" he exclaimed, laying his hand in that of the Italian. "I will speak of it to no one."

"Not even to the Baroness," continued Giraldi "She wishes to be entirely unconcerned; that is to say, quite free. The Count will understand this womanly delicacy, not to say weakness."

"Perfectly," said the Count.

"Even her name--that is her particular wish--must not appear in any part of the transaction; so that the mortgage must be made out in my name. Do you agree!"