He dared not risk compromising her by another serenade, as he felt sure that it had been some servant of the count who had betrayed him to the baroness.

At last he hit upon a plan.

The funeral of the baroness was to take place on the afternoon of the next day.

He felt sure that the Graf von Lira would go to it, and he was equally certain that Hedwig would not.

It chanced to be the hour at which De Pretis went to the Palazzo to give her the singing lesson.
"I suppose it is a barbarous thing for me to do," he said to himself, "but I cannot help it.