"Ma foi! I am a newly-married man, Hugo!" he said, in an apologetic tone, "I have forgotten everything in the delightful society of that dear Contessa. But you are right to reproach me; I ought to have written, only I am so terribly negligent." "And fickle; don't forget that trait of your character, Luigi. However, I'm glad to see you, fickle friend as you are." "Dame! you don't spare me. I have called on you for a purpose!" "That goes without saying. When one requires a friend one always knows where to find him. Well, Marchese, and in what way can I assist you?" "I will tell you! but I see you do not ask after my wife?" "I trust Madame Beltrami is well!" I said stiffly, not feeling any particularly warm feeling towards that lady. "Yes! her health is good." "And you are happy, Beltrami?" "Tolerably! But tell me, how is Pallanza and his wife?" "Oh, they live in Elysium, Marchese. At present they are in Milan, but leave next week for Madrid, where Pallanza is going to sing." "He'll have to go by himself, then!" "What do you mean?" "That Madame, my very good wife, is hunting through Milan for his Elysium, with that famous bottle of poison in her pocket." "Great heavens! Is she going to try and poison Pallanza again?" "No! you remember the Latin maxim, 'Non bis in idem.' She is going to try the effect of the poison on his wife." "And yet you can sit there calmly without making an attempt to save this innocent creature! Beltrami, it is infamous!" I was walking up and down the room in a state of great excitement, for it seemed horrible and incomprehensible to see the Marchese sitting there so calm and composed, when he knew that a reckless, dangerous woman like his wife was in Milan bent on murder. "Eh! Hugo, keep cool," said Beltrami, quietly. "It is just this affair I have come to see you about. Sit down, mon ami, and I'll tell you all about it." "But every moment is of value!" "No doubt, but as it will take madame some time to find out where Signor Pallanza is staying, I think we can safely talk for five minutes." "Go on, then! I am all impatience!" "So I see! Ebbene! When I went to Rome I told the Contessa that I had taken away Pallanza's body; but of course I did not say he was alive, and swore that if she did not marry me I would tell everything to the authorities. The sequel you know--she married me." "A horrible contract," I muttered savagely, looking at the whole affair from an English point of view. "I-think we argued that matter before," said Beltrami, coolly, "and, if I remember rightly, you did not agree with my reasons. However, it is too late now to blame me, seeing I have been married for nearly five weeks. We spent our honeymoon at Como--in fact, mon ami, we are spending it there still, only a perusal of yesterday's Lombardia sent my excellent wife off to this city in search of Signora Pallanza." "I do not understand."