The Press., 1912-08-28
.rnada leading from Paris.

roads leading from Paris.
 "I prefer cross country roads," said the countess. and to NoaiIles' astonish- ment she jumped her horse over a fence and alighted on the other side. Turning, she saw her escort gaping at her.
 If you love me. follow mew
 Noailles took the fence and gathered himself for a contest that was by no means to his taste, which was intellec- tuaI, not athletic. The countess, who seemed to him female centaur, gave her horse a cut with her whip that sent him plunging over plowed field. Noailles followed, now looking up at the Diana figure before him, now down at the clods, expecting every moment that one or the other of the horses would fall and maim or kill his rider.
 From the field the countess entered a wood, now and again looking back to see if Noailles was following. Mad ly in love, he realized that woman is not likely to return the love of man she can outdO in a mans field. Fences. logs, ditches, none of them seemed too nlRN TOT u0Fs SpuEIcu OA ny AAO PSA" sion, NoailIes kept the pace. Finally he encountered ditch at which his horse baked. The countess had gone over it safely and, refining, turned to watch him. Riding back short dis tance, he turned his horses head to- ward it.
 "Take it and I am yoursv' cried the countess.
 Plunging his spurs into his horses Hanks and giving him the whip at the same time, he dashed at the ditch. His horse baked again, and the rider, turning a somersault in the air, came down in a heap on the other side. where he lay motionless.
 In a second his companion was off her horse and knSeling at his side, but not to succor him. Pity may have been there, but it was suppressed by a greater sympathy for her oppressed countrymen. She felt in Noailles' coat pockets. The notebook was not there Throwing open his waistcoat. she found it in an inside pocket.
 In one way, and one way only. she showed the woman and that she was not insensible to her devotion. She kissed the white lips. Then. rising. she mounted her horse and dashed away.
 The fourth and last scene in the play is in Turin Cavour's cabinet. The Countess RicciOli enters. Cavour looks up anxiously and in his emissary's face reads triumph. She hands him Napoleon's notebook. Motioning her to a seat, he lays the book on his desk and begins to read, his eyes opening wider as he proceeds, soon glisten1ng with the possession of such power. For an hour he reads without noticing his visitor. then suddenly closes the book and turns to her.
 "To you." he' said, 'Ttaly is indebted for what she covets. If I can only muzzle the republican fanatic Mazzini and hold that thunderbolt Garibaldi till the time comes for them to strike we will be united people,"
 The morning after NOailles' fall he staggered. pale as ghost. into his masters presence and confessed the loss of the notebook. The emperor, thunderstruck. took time to recover ! from the shock. then said: i've shall know soon who possesses | the power over me the book gives him. Whoever he is. I must do his bidding"
 The emperor was right that he should soon know what would be re- uuired of him. Noailles received a communication from the countess stat ! ing that the book was in her posses sion and. the secrets 1t contained would be kept on condition that he | would secure from his master full recognition of the representative of the king of Sardinia. with the right to enter upon discussion of subjects con | corning the interests of the powers at l the coming conference.
 Noailles went at once to the emperor with the communication and secured
 his agreement to the conditions which | he returned by the messenger. How CavOur was permitted to work | for Italian interests ill the conference ! and the events that followed by which Italian unity was secured are mat
 ters of history. AS to the Countess l Riccioli, she returned to Paris with
 tue notebook. which she gave to No allies. bestowing upon him her hand at the same time. Her influence was | sufficient to have her husband en- nobled instead of punished. He be- came prominent fn the republic after the collapse of the second empire and
 owing to his wife's nationality and in
 terest in Italian unity. became con,
 vert to the cause himself and helped to bring about some of the later ad-
 vances by which that unity was secured.