When Malvano entered, rosy, buxom, and smiling, well dressed in frock-coat, and carrying his silk hat and stick with that air adopted by members of the medical profession, the Count shook him by the hand and greeted him cordially. Without invitation, His Excellency's visitor tossed his hat and stick upon the sofa, sank into the nearest chair, and stretched out his legs, apparently quite at home. The Ambassador, first raising the heavy velvet _portiere_, and slipping the small brass bolt of the door into its socket, took a seat at his table, and fixing his eyes upon the man who had served him with wine the night before, said, with a sigh-- "Well, Filippo. A crisis appears imminent." "You have heard from Rome?" Malvano exclaimed quickly. "I met Varesi, the messenger, in the hall." "Yes," His Excellency said. "I've received certain instructions from the Minister, but it is impossible to act upon them." "Why?" "For the prestige of Italy, for our own reputations, for the personal safety of the one to whom we owe our knowledge, it is impossible to act," the Count answered gravely. "My hands are tied absolutely." "And you will stand by and see murder committed without seeking to bring pressure to bear against those who seek our ruin? This is not like you, Castellani." "No, Filippo," the other said, in a tone of confidence quite unusual to him, for he was a stern, rather harsh, diplomat, who never allowed any personal interest to interfere with his duties as Ambassador. "Not a word of reproach from you, of all men. You alone know that I have secretly done my best in this affair; that I have more than once risked my appointment in order to successfully accomplish the work which you and I have in hand." "And I, too, have done my utmost," Malvano observed. "Up to the present, however, our enemies have been far too wary to be caught napping." "Yes," the Ambassador said. "In this matter I have relied absolutely upon your patriotism. Like myself, you have run great risks; but I fear that all is to no purpose." "Why?" "Because we have not yet fathomed the mystery of the death of the girl Vittorina Rinaldo. If we could do that it would give us a clue to the whole affair." "Exactly," Malvano answered. "In that matter we are no nearer the truth than we were on the first day we commenced our investigation. And why? Because of one thing--we fear `La Gemma.'" "Where is she now?" "Ah! Unfortunately she quarrelled with young Armytage, left the Hotel Victoria suddenly, and--" "And her whereabouts are unknown," His Excellency gasped. "Dio mio!" he cried. "Then she may actually have gone back to Italy and betrayed everything!" "I think that very probable," Malvano said gravely. "For the past fortnight I've been daily at the Bonciani, and have kept my ears open. There is something secret in progress." "What's its nature?" "I don't know."