Tormented with curiosity, Luigi saw them enter the house.  The face and the martial or sanguinary reputation of Captain Weisspriess were not unknown to him.  ‘What has he to do with this affair?’ thought Luigi, and sauntered down to the captain’s servant, who accepted a cigar from him, but was rendered incorruptible by ignorance of his language.  He observed that the horses were fresh, and were furnished with saddle-bags as for an expedition.  What expedition?  To serve as escort to the carriage?—­a nonsensical idea.  But the discovery that an idea is nonsensical is not a satisfactory solution of a difficulty.  Luigi squatted on his haunches beside the doorstep, a little under one of the lower windows of Rocco Ricci’s house.  Earlier than he expected, the captain and Signor Antonio came out; and as soon as the door had closed behind them, the captain exclaimed, ’I give you my hand on it, my brave Pericles.  You have done me many services, but this is finest of all.  She’s superb.  She’s a nice little wild woman to tame.  I shall go to the Sonnenberg immediately.  I have only to tell General Pierson that his nephew is to be prevented from playing the fool, and I get leave at once, if there’s no active work.’

‘His nephew, Lieutenant Pierson, or Pole—­hein?’ interposed the Greek.

’That ’s the man.  He ’s on the Marshal’s staff.  He ’s engaged to the Countess Lena von Lenkenstein.  She has fire enough, my Pericles.’

‘The Countess Anna, you say?’ The Greek stretched forward his ear, and was never so near getting it vigorously cuffed.

‘Deafness is an unpardonable offence, my dear Pericles.’

Antonio-Pericles sniffed, and assented, ‘It is the stupidity of the ear.’

‘I said, the Countess Lena.’

‘Von Lenkenstein; but I choose to be further deaf.’

‘To the devil, sir.  Do you pretend to be angry?’ cried Weisspriess.

’The devil, sir, with your recommendation, is too black for me to visit him,’ Antonio-Pericles rejoined.

’By heaven, Pericles, for less than what you allow yourself to say, I’ve sent men to him howling!’

They faced one another, pulling at their moustachios.  Weisspriess laughed.

‘You’re not a fighting man, Pericles.’

The Greek nodded affably.  ’One is in my way, I have him put out of my way.  It is easiest.’

‘Ah! easiest, is it?’ Captain Weisspriess ‘frowned meditative’ over this remarkable statement of a system.  ’Well, it certainly saves trouble.  Besides, my good Pericles, none but an ass would quarrel with you.  I was observing that General Pierson wants his nephew to marry the Countess Lena immediately; and if, as you tell me, this girl Belloni, who is called la Vittoria—­the precious little woman!—­has such power over him, it’s quite as well, from the General’s point of view, that she should be out of the way at Sonnenberg.  I have my footing at the Duchess of Graath’s.  I believe she hopes that I shall some day challenge and kill her husband; and as I am supposed to have saved Major de Pyrmont’s life, I am also an object of present gratitude.  Do you imagine that your little brown-eyed Belloni scented one of her enemies in me?’