The Marchese then was the man who held the key to this enigma, and, far from being offended at his rough treatment of me on that fatal night, I was only too delighted at discovering the unknown person who, in this strange repetition of the old legend, had played the part of Count Mastino Morone.
"I have rather startled you, I fancy, Hugo?" said Beltrami with an ironical laugh.
"I would be a fool to deny it; but now that your dramatic surprise has come off so excellently, perhaps you will tell me what it all means."
"Without doubt; confidence for confidence! Besides, I want your help to carry this comedy to its legitimate conclusion."
"Comedy, you call it? To my mind it is more like a tragedy."
"There you are wrong, mon ami. In a tragedy there must be a death."
"Well! You forget Pallanza?"
"Not at all, Hugo; that is the whole point. Pallanza is not dead."
I stared at the Marchese in astonishment.
"Pallanza not dead! Impossible! I saw him die on that night."