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"If your inforoczy appended "Are you certain it is accurate?"

"Unfortunately, it is" Lindenblatt nodded, looking even more uncomfortable "Iuntil the court publishes its findings on the matter, which will be to on you, and as I have need of access to one of your staff, I ae of confidentiality?"

"You haveto reoodness you are willing" Lindenblatt took a large handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face "I am still much troubled by all we have learned"

"You will have a difficult ti to mete out justice to the robbers, but quite another to persecute local oczy had a short, unpleasant recollection of the trouble at Padova, at Cuzco, and of Jui Ah at Mao-T&039;ou fortress

"I am aware of that; I would be more elated if some other had been revealed as the miscreant" Lindenblatt steadied hi is that the leader of the band of robbers is Kleinerhoff&039;s nephew, from Halle He was a Captain of cavalry under Napoleon, and has suffered because of his loyalty He gathered a group of former soldiers around him, and some men of dubious probity, and they became the heart of his band, with the aid of Kleinerhoff and his assistant" Now that he had revealed so much, he seemed about to collapse from exhaustion

"As sad as all this is, why do you want to see so courtesy

"Because it seems one of your household has acted as aas a connection between the robbers and Herr Kleinerhoff" He stuffed his handkerchief back into his pocket "I regret to inforation has shown that this is true I have seen the sworn testimony, and I have reviewed the evidence It explains why sorew ruddy, and he was about to continue his oblique apology when the knock on the door interrupted hioczy "I hope you will not refuse them"

"No, I won&039;t; I aistrate "I would like to think you will not hold oczy asked as he went to open the door

Hildegard brought a tray into the room and carried it to the occasional table next to Lindenblatt&039;s chair "Magistrate," he said as he set it down

Lindenblatt nodded and said to Ragoczy "You know, in my father&039;s day, no servant would address any of us directly They spoke only when spoken to, and would not look at their betters"

"This way is ood"

"I hope so," said Lindenblatt, and poured hiard had brought

"I&039;ll ring for you when the Magistrate is through, thank you," said Ragoczy, disard, and left the roooczy watched while Lindenblatt took a long drink of beer, then asked again, "Whoret to say that our information shows it is your second coach? He has worked forUlf Hochvall" He spoke the naoczy looked shocked "Are you sure?"

"I wish I were not" Lindenblatt took a second long draught of the beer and reached for a wedge of cheese

"He has not been in oczy paused to consider how to go on "I have helped hi; Kleinerhoff aidedthe head-" He gave a single, ironic laugh "This is not what Hochvall wanted, but he was resigned to it: since his leg was broken, Hochvall has not been able to handle a coach-and-four Both of us hoped his leg would ht to provide hi of some sort He was disappointed not to be able to continue as a coachenerosityhis cheese with the help of a sip of beer "He has been passing information to Kleinerhoff for the last three years He has occasionally sheltered the robbers in your coach-barn It was he who sought to turn suspicion on you"

"That is " He left the rest unsaid

"The mark of an unworthy ed; I had hoped to do so while I was here, but if he is in Sacre-Sang, then I e of cheese and bit into it, chewing vigorously

"The villagers are bound to know you are co The harvesters will announce you as sure as fanfares" Ragoczy tapped the secretary-desk "If they support Herr Kleinerhoff, then youistrates&039; guard All of them have been offered the opportunity to receive a reduced sentence if each of theard to all their activities That is proceeding as we speak I have seen what the guards seized, which includes two registers of loot and booty I had no idea of how extensive their activities have been"

"And you are certain that Kleinerhoff and Hochvall are ioczy asked sadly

"I have proof in three for several letters fro the arrests of the robbers, describing where and when the band could strike for best results Hehow trustworthy he is, and approving his knowledge of roads and lanes in the region Kleinerhoff&039;s hand has been recognized by lass of beer "I am dismayed to have to inform you of all this, but better that you hear it now, from me, than frooczy "I a so distasteful in such a pro another coach approaching He turned to Lindenblatt &039;If you will excusemore as he took his hat fro here; there is much yet to do" He rose to his feet "If you will dointo Yvoire tomorrow for the first court procedure, I would very oczy "At what hour?"

"At nine I will begin If you would, bring with you all correspondence you have had with Herr Kleinerhoff, and any records you have of your dealings with Hochvall If you arrive half-an-hour early, I will brief you on what is to co of the outlaws, but I am still primary administrator of the case" He looked back at the tray "I wish I had had more tioczy held the door for hi, and will be at your disposal"

"Merci, Cohed "Now that we are Swiss France again, we ain, ill probably revert to Geroczy expressed no opinion, but nodded seriously and indicated the front door where Balduin aiting "Until tothis call"

Outside, the second coach was nearing the turn into the paved courtyard; groo from the stable to take it in hand

"Preferable to a summons, isn&039;t it?" Lindenblatt said, then started down the broad, shallow steps toward his coach

"Balduin, if you will inforan, only to hear footsteps behind him

"Is this Hedda?" Hero breathed from just behind his shoulder "Is that her coach?"

"I assu aside so that Hero could see the four Kladrubers coistrates&039; coach

"Oh Oh, dear," said Hero as a sudden stab of panic went through her "I hope I have done the right thing, that she and I will-What if this doesn&039;t work out?"

"That is the gaoczy with such kindness that Hero gasped "What ht: I ht of that," she decided aloud "Shall I go out to her?"

"You may want to wait until she is out of the coach, so you istrate Lindenblatt&039;s coach pulled forward to turn around, the second coach cae of the steps

"We traveled quickly," Gutesohnes called fro-box "The horses have earned their oats today They kept up a steady trot for three leagues" He set the brake and prepared to get down

Balduin stepped forward, opened the door and let down the steps, then et out while Gabriel, the new footot off the rear of the coach and unbuckled the boot-cover

First out was Oberin Josepha; the Mother Superior was ih her starched headdress was a bit wilted She bowed rather than curtsied "Coain," she said in Gerhtly to her "I trust you had a good journey?"

"Oh, yes," said Oberin Josepha "Your coach is quite luxurious" She swung around, her habit shielding the descent of the second passenger "Co, child We have reached the home of the Comte You reure in a dull-pink frock e down the steps backward, and taking refuge in the ae, chary blue eyes peering around the nun

"Oh, welcome, welcome, Hedda," said Hero "Please come in Both of you"

"She is a little shy," said Oberin Josepha "Co to take care of you from now on Show her how much you appreciate her care" She covered her annoyance with a suggestion of a back

"Until toistrate Lindenblatt as his coach started down the drive, picking up speed

Ragoczy held up his hand in farewell, thinking that he should probably decide which of his records to take with hi He held out his hand to Hero "Let the nun bring her to you It will be less upsetting that way"

"I want to hug her, but I suppose she will need ti it takes: I want her to be glad to be with me"

"That is an impulse I understand well," he said and fell in beside her, offering the steadiness of his arm as she came down the steps

"Hedda," said Hero "I am here to welcome you"

The child took firhted at last and slapped his duster, laughing at the clouds that arose from the canvas "Take the team to the stable and walk the paddock," he ordered the groo in an hour"

"When you have finished with the horses," Ragoczy said, raising his voice to be heard, "then come to my study You and I have matters to discuss"

Gutesohnes ducked his head to show compliance "After dinner, if you will perlad of the reprieve, however brief Before nightfall, he would have to send word to the stable to have a horse saddled for hi, but that could wait; now he had a e with Hero to greet the diffident child in the drab frock and simple straw bonnet, who stood at the side of the travel-rumpled Mother Superior, and do all that he could to oczy

Text of a letter frooczy, Cooczy, near Lake Geneva, Yvoire, Swiss France; carried by coer and delivered thirty-two days after it ritten

To Saint-Gers of your Madelaine on this, the 19thday of November, 1818,

My dearest Coain I have today received confir Star from Athens to Alexandria as soon as the winter storms have passed I have sent word ahead to the I the suites youthe copy of your assurances for the er I will carry your authorization to draw on your accounts there, although I hope I will not need to encroach on your generosity As deeply as I long to travel upriver on the Nile, I will be content to ree yptianthere had you not intervened

For that reason, I ask you to permit me to find an expedition bound up the Nile on er in Alexandria for too e my mind and appeal to you to aid , I think it behoovesto do the sort of work I a to be patient, so I do not insist on an immediate opportunity, but I would rather set out sooner than later I have e and then some, which should suffice to persuade any antiquarian of my usefulness

Here in Athens there is much excite the recent uprising against the Ottoevics While many applaud Milos Obrenovic&039;s audacity, others are outraged at hisbetween the fah the Balkans, and ion Everyone in Athens has an opinion on the htest opportunity There are many here in Athens who believe the Ottoman Empire must collapse, and that the sooner that happens, the better it will be for everyone, including the Turks While I do not agree completely, I am fairly certain that the Ottoer If the Serbs can separate themselves and their territory from the Otto Greece

No, I have no wish to becoh to convince me that revolutions are as likely to destroy the supporters as the opposition I would much prefer to be allowed to do : this reminds me of Paris before the Bastille was stormed and those six unfortunates were rescued I can feel it in the air, which is one of the reasons I a this place in threewith Missus Neva Colchester, who is a very respectableof thirty-eight suoverness to the children of Sir Beresford Rollo, the diplomat If my reputation is to be protected, I a it than almost anyone I have met I understand her husband was an officer in the British Arainst Napoleon She has said he left her with a sacy and a house north of London which she cannot afford to occupy alone, and no one in her family ishes to share it with her So rather than sink into genteel poverty, she has decided to put her education to good use Her work in Egypt is supposed to last for five years with the possibility of extension if she proves satisfactory

I tell you this so you will not think I have lost all regard for the good opinion of others I have not and I will not flout custo at the limitations that are so much imposed in this part of the world I have always assumed I could find a way to accommodate expectations, but in this part of the world, I will not go about swathed in a kind of tent, looking out at the world through a s as many of the Greeks and Turks think it, I will continue as I have done from my first journey to Asia Minor: I will dress and conductto church, to show I respect religion It is fortunate that the tales of vaious places is untrue, or I would find my sojourn here much more difficult

Saint-Germain, I do er for food Every day I think of you, and I e could spend ether I comprehend your reservations about such an attempt, and in the rational part of my mind, I share those reservations But when it is late and the ret that itwill ever supplant entleness as passionate as any work of van Beethoven or von Weber All that I ae that, nor would I want it changed From now until the True Death, you will be first in iven me, and my soul

Eternally,

Madelaine