At that moment there was a knock at the door, and a hooded and cloaked servant dressed entirely in black entered and handed Arafrantz and Réginard two visiting cards. "From the Count of Monte Fato, for Viscount Réginard de Pérégrin and Baron Arafrantz d'Imrahil," he said. "His Excellency the Count of Monte Fato requests the honour of presenting himself to these messieurs tomorrow morning."
"Tell the Count that it is we who will have the honour of visiting him," returned Arafrantz. The domestic withdrew.
"That's what one calls an assault of elegance, using the Grond of affability to besiege the Mina Tiretta of our acquaintance," said Réginard. "You were right, master Orlando; the Count of Monte Fato is a man altogether comme il faut."
Arafrantz recalled that, in the conversation he had overheard at the Teleporneum, the mysterious aristocrat had promised to use the windows of the Palazzo Tralalalalli as a sign that the condemned man would live; if, then, as he suspected, the stranger and the Count of Monte Fato were the same person, he was sure to recognize him and thus satisfy his curiosity. This time, unless his host of Monte Fato possessed the Ring of Sauron, and, thanks to this Ring, the faculty of rendering himself invisible, he would not escape.
Next morning, at nine o'clock, Orlando accompanied the two guests to the Count's quarters, and rang the doorbell for them. A domestic answered.
