It was very clear to the Councillor, had been quite clear from the first moment, and he had only wanted time to recover from his surprise. The Count's move was a masterly one, which he had never expected from the reckless young man. He was in the strange position of being obliged to curb the ardour which he had so artfully roused.
"Bravo!" said he. "We shall have a skilful director in you. I congratulate ourselves and you in the prospect. At the same time, we will not divide the skin till we have killed the bear. Till now we have been reckoning without one person, who is, however, very powerful--without the Baroness Warnow herself."
"But if she is in the hands of her trustee, and you and Wallbach could get the better of the General----"
"Only till the first of October! From that day, which happens to be her fiftieth birthday, the Baroness, by her husband's will, has a voice amongst the trustees, who then, if you like, become only a committee of management under her."
"And you think that the Baroness will be against our plan?"
"I think that the opinion of the Baroness upon this and every other matter is of infinitely less importance to us than that of Signor Giraldi."
"Her steward?"
"Steward--secretary--companion, I do not know what."
"They say that she is married to him?"
"She will take care not to do that!"