seeking to take my life? Refuse to answer me, and I'll'—and I tickled the part of his neck behind his left ear with the pointed blade of the sharp dagger.

'Mercy!' cried the man.

'Answer my question,' said I.

He paused a moment, and then replied, 'Il Principe Inglese hired me to assassin you for a hundred ducats.'

It was as I thought. I took out of my pocket-book a sheet of paper and a pencil, and made the bravo write his confession. It ran as follows: 'I hereby swear, by the Holy Virgin and by St. John, my patron saint, that I was offered by the Lord Edgeware the sum of 10,000 pauls - 5000 of which were paid me in advance-if I would secretly murder Il Signor Disney, an English artist. I attempted to do my duty on the evening of February 14, 18—, at ten o'clock; but Il Signor Disney defeated me,

and has forced me to write this document.

-GIOVANNI LEONI.'

"That will do,' said I, relinquishing my guard over him, and taking the paper; 'and now, good-night.'

'My stiletto, signor?'

'I prefer to keep it-it may be useful. Who knows whether we may not meet again? Buon sera !'—and I walked on; taking remarkably good care to be strictly on my guard against any farther surprise, till I was safely housed in my lodgings.

My wound was but slight, and was perfectly healed at the end of three days. Before the expiration of that time, Lord Edgeware, I had heard, had left Rome in his yacht; so that the bravo's confession, which I had intended handing over to that remarkably vigilant, but inefficient body, the Roman police, was useless; at least as regards Lord Edgeware-and as for

the bravo, I owed him not sufficient malice to take proceedings against him. I wrapped the confession round the stiletto, and resolved to bide my time.

Such was the history of my connection with the man whom I saw now, for the first time since my duel, lounging in the entrance hall of the Trevennis Hotel.

CHAPTER VI.

MODERN SOCIETY.

'O friend, I know not which way I must look For comfort, being, as I am, opprest

To think that now our life is only drest

For show; mean handiwork of craftsman, cook,
Or groom! We must run, glittering like a brook
In the open sunshine, or we are unblest;
The wealthiest man among us is the best:
No grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us. Rapine, avarice, expense:
This is idolatry; and these we adore.
Plain living and high thinking are no more;
The homely beauty of the good old cause
Is gone.'

SI got out of the brougham, and
walked up the steps that led to
the hall, I noticed Lord Edge-

ware regarding me with the usual 'stony stare' of the well-bred Briton. It was evi

dent that he did not recognise me; for since I had seen him last, five years ago, my figure had filled out, and my face was adorned or disfigured, whichever you please, with a full black beard almost patriarchal in its length.

He too had changed since last we met beneath the walls of the Coliseum, and not for the better. His face told as plainly as it could tell, that self-indulgence and dissipation had commenced their work of physical destruction. His figure too had gone; for, instead of his former slender waist, there was an incipient but prophetic corporation. But still he had as much claim to be called a handsome man as formerly, and in his air and general appearance there was still that indefinable something which we snobbishly call 'aristocratic.' As I passed him, he looked at me with that kind of 'who the doose is that fellow' air peculiar

VOL. I.

L