"The woman who wore the yellow domino
was, I presume, of the same height as the late countess?"
"Exactly," said Brigida. "Her eyes were also of the same color as
the late countess's; she wore yellow of the same shade as the
hangings in the late countess's room, and she had on, under her
yellow mask, the colorless wax model of the late countess's face,
now in your friend's hand. So much for that part of the secret.
Nothing remains now to be cleared up but the mystery of who the
lady was. Have the goodness, sir, to push that bag an inch or two
nearer my way, and I shall be delighted to tell you."
"Thank you, madam," said the doctor, with a very perceptible
change in his manner. "We know who the lady was already."
He moved the bag of scudi while he spoke back to his own side of
the table. Brigida's cheeks reddened, and she rose from her seat.
"Am I to understand, sir," she said, haughtily, "that you take
advantage of my position here, as a defenseless woman, to cheat
me out of the reward?"
"By no means, madam," rejoined the doctor. "We have covenanted to
pay the reward to the person who could give us the information we
required."
"Well, sir! have I not given you part of it? And am I not
prepared to give you the whole?"
"Certainly; but the misfortune is, that another person has been
beforehand with you. We ascertained who the lady in the yellow
domino was, and how she contrived to personate the face of the
late Countess d'Ascoli, several hours ago from another informant.
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