Nothing more was said about the man at that time, but I resolved to speak to Count Lorenzo about him at the first opportunity.
This presented itself the same evening, on our return to the chateau. I recalled to the count’s mind the conversation which had passed respecting him among the French soldiers, and also directed his attention to the fact that the subject of my remarks had been referred to in terms which seemed to leave no room for doubt as to his treachery.
“But the individual of whom you speak was called Guiseppe, was he not?” remarked the count, when I had said my say.
“Certainly,” I replied. “What is the name of this man?”
“Matteo, Matteo Bartolozzi is his full name,” replied the count. “I thought there must be a mistake somewhere; you have evidently been misled, my friend, by an accidental resemblance. Matteo a traitor! Pardon me, my dear Signor Ralpho, but if you knew the poor fellow as well as I do, you would recognise the absurdity of the supposition. I have known Matteo all his life, and I should have no hesitation in trusting him with anything, ay, even with my daughter’s safety.”
“Heaven forbid that such a necessity should ever arise,” I fervently exclaimed. “It would be better to confide her to the protection of a pack of starving wolves. I am not deceived by any accidental resemblance, I feel as sure of the identity of this man, whom you call Matteo, with the traitor Guiseppe, as I am of my own existence. Believe me, count, I would not speak so positively, did there exist the faintest possibility of doubt.”
“But, my good sir,” returned the count somewhat tartly, “I assure you that what you say is quite impossible. I repeat, I have known the man all his life, and I have done him nothing but good. I have befriended him in a thousand ways, and I know he would lay down his life rather than bring harm to me and mine.”
I saw that my efforts to undeceive the count were worse than useless, and I therefore abandoned the attempt; at the same time his arguments utterly failed to convince me that I had been mistaken, they did not even raise the most transitory doubt in my mind; I therefore determined to simply wait and watch the course of events.