I prepared to be attentive and to hear his scheme.  I was by no means expecting the plan he proposed.

“The count may take it into his head to ride at a different hour, if he rides alone,” he began.  “I will therefore have my mule saddled now, and will station my man—­a countryman from Subiaco and good for any devilry—­in some place where he can watch the entrance to the house, or the castle, or whatever you call this place.  So soon as he sees the count come out he will call me.  As a man can ride in only one of two directions in this valley, I shall have no trouble whatever in meeting the old gentleman, even if I cannot overtake him with my mule.”

“Have you any arms, Nino?”

“No.  I do not want weapons to face an old man in broad daylight; and he is too much of a soldier to attack me if I am defenceless.  If the servant comes after I am gone, you must remember every detail of what he says, and you must also arrange a little matter with him.  Here is money, as much as will keep any Roman servant quiet.  The man will be rich before we have done with him.  I will write a letter which he must deliver; but he must also know what he has to do.

“At twelve o’clock to-night the contessina must positively be at the door of the staircase by which you entered yesterday. Positively—­do you understand?  She will then choose for herself between what she is suffering now and flight with me.  If she chooses to fly, my mules and my countryman will be ready.  The servant who admits me had better make the best of his way to Rome, with the money he has got.  There will be difficulties in the way of getting the contessina to the staircase, especially as the count will be in a towering passion with me, and will not sleep much.  But he will not have the smallest idea that I shall act so suddenly, and he will fancy that when once his daughter is safe within the walls for the night she will not think of escaping.  I do not believe he even knows of the existence of this staircase.  At all events, it appears, from your success in bribing the first man you met, that the servants are devoted to her interests and their own and not at all to those of her father.”

“I cannot conceive, Nino,” said I, “why you do not put this bold plan into execution without seeing the count first, and making the whole thing so dangerous.  If he takes alarm in the night he will catch you fast enough on his good horses before you are at Trevi.”

“I am determined to act as I propose,” said Nino, “because it is a thousand times more honourable, and because I am certain that the contessina would not have me act otherwise.  She will also see for herself that flight is best; for I am sure the count will make a scene of some kind when he comes home from meeting me.  If she knows she can escape to-night she will not suffer from what he has to say; but she will understand that without the prospect of freedom she would suffer very much.”