This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
By George Meredith
Meanwhile Captain Weisspriess had not been idle. Standing at a bluntangle of the ways converging upon Vittoria's presumed destination, he hadroused up the gendarmerie along the routes to Meran by Trent on one side,and Bormio on the other; and he soon came to the conclusion that she hadrejected the valley of the Adige for the Valtelline, whence he supposedthat she would be tempted either to cross the Stelvio or one of thepasses into Southernmost Tyrol. He was led to think that she wouldcertainly bear upon Switzerland, by a course of reasoning connected withAngelo Guidascarpi, who, fleeing under the cross of blood, might becalculated on to push for the mountains of the Republic; and he mightjudging by the hazards—conduct the lady thither, to enjoy the fruits ofcrime and love in security. The captain, when he had discovered Angelo'screst and name on the betraying handkerchief, had no doubts concerningthe nature of their intimacy, and he was spurred by a new and thriceeager desire to capture the couple—the criminal for the purposes ofjustice, and the other because he had pledged his notable reputation inthe chase of her. The conscience of this man's vanity was extremelyactive. He had engaged to conquer the stubborn girl, and he thought itpossible that he might take a mistress from the patriot ranks, with aloud ha! ha! at revolutionists, and some triumph over his comrades. Andbesides, he was the favourite of Countess Anna of Lenkenstein, who yetrefused to bring her estates to him; she dared to trifle; she also was awoman who required rude lessons. Weisspriess, a poor soldier bearing theheritage of lusty appetites, had an eye on his fortune, and servedneither Mars alone nor Venus. Countess Anna was to be among that companyassembled at the Castle of Sonnenberg in Meran; and if, while introducingVittoria there with a discreet and exciting reserve, he at the same timehanded over the assassin of Count Paul, a fine harvest of praise andvarious pleasant forms of female passion were to be looked for—a richvista of a month's intrigue; at the end of it possibly his wealthy lady,thoroughly tamed, for a wife, and redoubled triumph over his comrades.Without these successes, what availed the fame of the keenest swordsmanin the Austrian army?—The feast as well as the plumes of vanity offeredrewards for the able exercise of his wits.
He remained at the sub-Alpine inn until his servant Wilhelm (for whom hehad despatched the duchess's chasseur, then in attendance on Vittoria)arrived from Milan, bringing his uniform. The chasseur was directed onthe Bormio line, with orders that he should cause the arrest of Vittoriaonly in the case of her being on the extreme limit of the Swiss frontier.Keeping his communications alert, Weisspriess bore that way to meet him.Fortune smiled on his strategy. Jacob Baumwalder Feckelwitz—full ofwine, and discharging hurrahs along the road—met him on the bridge overthe roaring Oglio, just out of Edolo, and gave him news of the fugitives.'Both of them were at the big hotel in Bormio,' said Jacob; 'and I set upa report that the Stelvio was watched; and so it is.' He added that hethought they were going to separate; he had heard something to thateffect; he believed that the young lady was bent upon crossing one of thepasses to Meran. Last night it had devolved on him to kiss away thetears of the young lady's maid,