in the rocks, where she had stored provision and sat two days expecting the signal from Trent.  They saw numerous bands of soldiers set out along the valleys—­merry men whom it was Barto’s pleasure to beguile by shouts, as a relief for his parched weariness upon the baking rock.  Accident made it an indiscretion.  A glass was levelled at them by a mounted officer, and they had quickly to be moving.  Angelo knew the voice of Weisspriess in the word of command to the soldiers, and the call to him to surrender.  Weisspriess followed them across the mountain track, keeping at their heels, though they doubled and adopted all possible contrivances to shake him off.  He was joined by Count Karl Lenkenstein on the day when Carlo Ammiani encountered them, with the rear of Colonel Corte’s band marching for Vicenza.  In the collision between the Austrians and the volunteers, Rinaldo was taken fighting upon his knee-cap.  Leone cursed the disabled foot which had carried the hero in action, to cast him at the mercy of his enemies; but recollection of that sight of Rinaldo fighting far ahead and alone, half-down-like a scuttled ship, stood like a flower in the lad’s memory.  The volunteers devoted themselves to liberate or avenge him.  It was then that Barto Rizzo sent his wife upon her mission.  Leone assured Vittoria that Angelo was aware of its nature, and approved it—­hoped that the same might be done for himself.  He shook his head when she asked if Count Ammiani approved it likewise.

“Signorina, Count Ammiani has a grudge against Barto, though he can’t help making use of him.  Our captain Carlo is too much of a mere soldier.  He would have allowed Rinaldo to be strung up, and Barto does not owe him obedience in those things.”

“But why did this Barto Rizzo employ a woman’s hand?”

“The woman was capable.  No man could have got permission to move freely among the rascal Austrians, even in the character of a deserter.  She did, and she saved him from the shame of execution.  And besides, it was her punishment.  You are astonished?  Barto Rizzo punishes royally.  He never forgives, and he never persecutes; he waits for his opportunity.  That woman disobeyed him once—­once only; but once was enough.  It occurred in Milan, I believe.  She released an Austrian, or did something —­I don’t know the story exactly—­and Barto said to her, ’Now you can wash out your crime and send your boy to heaven unspotted, with one blow.’  I saw her set out to do it.  She was all teeth and eyes, like a frightened horse; she walked like a Muse in a garden.”

Vittoria discovered that her presence among the Austrians had been known to Carlo.  Leone alluded slightly to Barto Rizzo’s confirmed suspicion of her, saying that it was his weakness to be suspicious of women.  The volunteers, however, were all in her favour, and had jeered at Barto on his declaring that she might, in proof of her willingness to serve the cause, have used her voice for the purpose of subjugating the wavering Austro-Italians, who wanted as much coaxing as women.  Count Karl had been struck to earth by Barto Rizzo.  “Not with his boasted neatness, I imagine,” Leone said.  In fact, the dagger had grazed an ivory portrait of a fair Italian head wreathed with violets in Count Karl’s breast.