peak, but she shivered and very gently drew her hand away
from Vanno's. She too felt that she owed Hannaford reparation, not for
what she had left undone during his life, but rather for what she had
done. She had taken his friendship, his kindness, his sympathy, and
given him nothing in return except a little pity following upon
repulsion. And she dared not ask herself how far her thoughtlessness was
answerable for his death.

XXXII

"A letter for the Highness and one waits for answer," announced Americo,
with the air of presenting a choice gift, as he bowed to the Princess
over a small silver tray.

She was lying among the red cushions of her favourite hammock on the
loggia. Beside her in a basket chair was Angelo, with a book in his hand
which he did not read, because when Marie was near him everything else
seemed irrelevant. Not far away Mary sat, writing a letter to Vanno
which ought to reach him the next morning. Yesterday at five o'clock she
had seen him off in the Rome express; and before this time he must have
arrived.

"Idina Bland's hand," said Angelo, as his wife took a large gray
envelope from the silver tray. "I wonder----" But he did not finish his
sentence. To do so would have been superfluous, as in a moment he would
know what Idina was writing about; and, besides, Angelo shrank
curiously--perhaps foolishly, he sometimes felt--from speaking of Idina
Bland or even mentioning her name to Marie. He was not superstitious, or
at least, he told himself often that he was not; yet the very thought of
his cousin depressed him as if she were a witch who from any distance
could cast a spell of ill-luck upon a house.

Marie had no suspicion of Angelo's feeling for Miss Bland. She knew from
him that there had been a "boy and girl flirtation" when Idina had first
come to stay at the Duke's country place years ago; and there was enough
malice in her to enjoy the idea of a defeated rival's jealousy. For this
reason she had found a certain pleasure in Idina's few visits to the
Villa Mirasole, though the pale "statue-eyes" had been cold as glass for
her. If Idina disliked her a little, Marie had considered it natural,
and had been secretly amused, saying nothing to Angelo.

"Miss Bland writes that an American friend of hers has come to stay a
day or two only, and she'd like very much to have her meet us and see
the villa," Marie announced, glancing through the short letter. "She
wants to know if we'd mind a