castle, a voice called out three times, ‘Welcome—welcome Duca de Marino!’ It was a strange hollow tone, certainly, and yet, Marquis, I am indebted to you for that reception.’
“I assured him, that till his name was announced from the corridor, I was perfectly unaware of his approach to the castle; nor could any of my servants have addressed him, as the valet who attended me in Italy had been long since dismissed. ‘Besides,’ added I, ‘it would have been exceedingly difficult to have recognised any equipage, however well known, in the gloom of such a night as this.’—‘Very true,’ answered the Duke, ‘and in that case I am perfectly at a loss.’ He looked much confounded, and the Count, determined not to listen to aught that was in any degree marvellous, assured him, with great politeness, that the voice, whose soever it might be, only expressed very truly the sentiments of the family towards their distinguished guest.
“Before a single word had been said as to the purpose of this unexpected visit, Marino begged that I would allow him the favour of a private conversation, and then entrusted me with the secret, that he had come thither on account of the
