"I am not the visitor whom you expect," continued Wogan, "nor do I bring
the news which you would wish to hear;" and at that she raised a
trembling hand. "I beg you--a moment's silence. Then I will hear you,
Mr. Warner." She made a sort of stumbling run and reached a couch. Wogan
shut the door and waited. He was glad that she had used the name of
Warner. It recalled to him that evening at Ohlau when she had stood
behind the curtain with a stiletto in her hand, and the three last days
of his perilous ride to Schlestadt. He needed his most vivid
recollections to steel his heart against her; for he was beginning to
think it was his weary lot to go up and down the world causing pain to
women. After a while she said, "Now your news;" and she held her hand
lightly to her heart to await the blow.
"The King married this morning the Princess Clementina," said Wogan.
Lady Featherstone did not move her hand; she still waited. It was just
to hinder this marriage that she had come to Italy, but her failure was
at this moment of no account. She heard of it with indifference; it had
no meaning to her. She waited. Wogan's mere presence at the villa told
her there was more to come. He continued:-"Last night Mr. Whittington came with the King to Bologna--you
understand, no doubt, why;" and she nodded without moving her eyes from
his face. She made no pretence as to the part she had played in the
affair. All the world might know it. That was a matter at this moment of
complete indifference. She waited.
"The King and Mr. Whittington came at nine of the night to the little
house which you once occupied. I was there, but I was not there alone.
Can your Ladyship conjecture whom I brought there? Your Ladyship, as I
learned last night from Mr. Whittington's own lips, had paid a visit
secretly, using a key which you had retained to the house on an excuse
that you had left behind jewels of some value. You saw her Highness the
Princess. You told her a story of the King and Mlle. de Caprara. I rode
to Rome, and when the King came last night Mlle. de Caprara was with the
Princess. I had evidence against Mr. Whittington, a confession of one of
the soldiers of the Governor of Trent, the leader of a party of five who
attacked me at Peri. No doubt you know of that little matter too;" and
again Lady Featherstone nodded.