Page:The Mysterious Warning - Parsons (1796, volume 3).djvu/277

 Countess of Wolfran; send an express to her; let her emerge from her solitude, and act for her child, as heir to the Count; her claims are incontestable—mine, were I inclined to assert them, might subject me to trouble from his relations; but I have no such inclinations; a thousand reasons of delicacy, honour, and gratitude, determine me to resign all my pretensions."

"But," said Ferdinand, "how shall we account for the last words of the Count, spoken before Reiberg and the surgeon? of which the former has taken notice."

"As the delirium of the moment," answered she.—"The surgeon cannot be interested to investigate it: The Countess will be recognized by all his friends and her's, and Reiberg may be led to believe it was some transient attachment he had lately formed. The words of a dying man, situated as he was, may easily be overlooked."

"Well," said Ferdinand, "I admire your resolution exceedingly; I trust we shall, in a few hours, have the benefit of Mr. d'Allenberg's advice; for I think they will not de-