'I desire no reward, your excellenza,' replied Ludovico, 'but your
approbation. Your excellenza has been sufficiently good to me already;
but I wish to have arms, that I may be equal to my enemy, if he should
appear.' 'Your sword cannot defend you against a ghost,' replied the Count,
throwing a glance of irony upon the other servants, 'neither can bars,
or bolts; for a spirit, you know, can glide through a keyhole as easily
as through a door.'
'Give me a sword, my lord Count,' said Ludovico, 'and I will lay all the
spirits, that shall attack me, in the red sea.'
'Well,' said the Count, 'you shall have a sword, and good cheer, too;
and your brave comrades here will, perhaps, have courage enough to
remain another night in the chateau, since your boldness will certainly,
for this night, at least, confine all the malice of the spectre to
yourself.' Curiosity now struggled with fear in the minds of several of his fellow
servants, and, at length, they resolved to await the event of Ludovico's
rashness.
Emily was surprised and concerned, when she heard of his intention, and
was frequently inclined to mention what she had witnessed in the north
apartments to the Count, for she could not entirely divest herself of
fears for Ludovico's safety, though her reason represented these to be
absurd. The necessity, however, of concealing the secret, with which
Dorothee had entrusted her, and which must have been mentioned, with the
late occurrence, in excuse for her having so privately visited the north
apartments, kept her entirely silent on the subject of her apprehension;
and she tried only to sooth Annette, who held, that Ludovico was
certainly to be destroyed; and who was much less affected by Emily's
consolatory efforts, than by the manner of old Dorothee, who often, as
she exclaimed Ludovico, sighed, and threw up her eyes to heaven.