"Rechberg likes early walks," he said to himself. "I shall not have long to wait. If he only knew that Bonello's daughter is at an hour's distance from here, nothing could prevent him going to her at once. But as this interview would upset all my calculations, I must be prudent.--Good, there he is at last, with his head down, as if he were counting the pebbles on the road.--He is coming towards me as though I had called him!--Oh! your servant, my lord Count."
"Ah! is that you, Antonio? I imagined you were still in Pavia."
"It is my duty to be wherever the master of the world is."
"I do not understand your meaning."
"You have not heard then that Barbarossa, with all his troops, entered Dôle yesterday?"
"Indeed!"
"Your looks and your surprise rather indicate that you do not desire to join him there."
"I wish, Antonio, that it were possible to avoid this interview.--My troubles will begin--"
"I bring news of your betrothed.--I regret extremely that they are not more agreeable ones.--But who could imagine her capable of such a thing?--I would have suspected myself sooner."
"What do you mean to say?"