Volume I Part 33 (2/2)
Bartolonificent place, and were soonmoney hand over fist Yet--no luck without a shadow--one evening, as Bartolo ured by a scar, approached hi his hand upon his shoulder, whispered in his ear:
”Good-evening, father”
The er, stareat honor totheroom, impressively said:
”My dear sir, let us be candid--do you refully bore?”
The er continued unmercifully:
”If the officials were to find out that you were once a counterfeiter, it o hard with you Your license would be revoked, and besides--well, you understand”
The major looked about him in astonishment--as the man who knew the secrets of his past life?
”Well, father?” ly said Benedetto
”Father, father,” repeated the major, dazed ”You are not--”
He mechanically opened his arms to press Benedetto to his heart
”Not necessary,” said the latter, laughing ”We are not in the Count of Monte-Cristo's house, and can dispense with tenderness”
The hed--for a further sum of fifty thousand francs he would have embraced ten Andreas
”But who are you, anyhow?” he finally asked ”I thought I had heard that you--”
”Beware!” exclaimed Benedetto ”Do not refer to the past; here I am the Count of San Pietro!”
”The confidant--” stammered the major
”Of Radetzky,” added Benedetto
”But as an Italian--”
”Keep silent and listen to me Either you do as I say, or else I denounce you to the h voice, and as the major bowed his head, the wretch explained to hi less than to play the part of a spy
One can call one's self afather for a sum of fifty thousand francs, and yet not be a traitor to one's country, and Bartolo a criminal, was an ardent patriot; but when the count calave in
From that day the major tried to drive the Italians away from his Casino He was pompous and disrespectful to his countrymen and polite and cordial to the Austrian officers, so that the latter were at length the only ones who came, and San Pietro's spy had very little news to report
Aslitta, as playing a double game, was the only one who could not be driven away One day he took Bartolomeo aside, told him he knew his position exactly and would help him to deceive San Pietro and free Milan of the tyrant
Bartolomeo, who until now found himself despised by his countrymen, was overjoyed; he threw hied him as his deity and vowed that he would follow him at command
Bartolomeo arose, and as he did so he secretly resolved to square his account with Benedetto in such a way as to serve his country He soon became the most clever of Aslitta's emissaries, and soon pictured himself as one of the most illustrious patriots of his country bedecked with laurels