The first thing I did was to find out what means of communication there were with Rome.

There was a postal service twice a week, and I was told that Count von Lira, whose name was no secret in the village, sent messengers very often to Subiaco.
The post left that very day, and I wrote to Nino to tell him that I had found his friends in villeggiatura at Fillettino, advising him to come as soon as he could, and recruit his health and his spirits.
I learned, further, from the woman who rented me my lodging, that there were other people in the castle besides the count and his daughter.

At least, she had seen a tall gentleman on the terrace with them during the last two days; and it was not true that the count kept Hedwig a prisoner.

On the contrary, they rode out together almost every day, and yesterday the tall gentleman had gone with them.

The woman also went into many details; telling me how much money the count had spent in a fortnight, bringing furniture and a real piano and immense loads of baskets, which the porters were told contained glass and crockery, and must be carefully handled.