d the desire of conquest awoke in her
immediately. She took a glass of wine from my hand with a languid
grace, and fixed her glorious eyes full on me with a smile.

"That is a very pretty speech," she said, sweetly, "and it means, of
course, that you will come to-morrow. Angels exact obedience! Gui--, I
mean Signor Ferrari, you will accompany the conte and show him the way
to the villa?"

Ferrari bent his head with some stiffness. He looked slightly sullen.

"I am glad to see," he observed, with some petulance, "that your
persuasions have carried more conviction to the Conte Oliva than mine.
To me he was apparently inflexible."

She laughed gayly. "Of course! It is only a woman who can always win
her own way--am I not right, conte?" And she glanced up at me with an
arch expression of mingled mirth and malice. What a love of mischief
she had! She saw that Guido was piqued, and she took intense delight in
teasing him still further.

"I cannot tell, madame," I answered her. "I know so little of your
charming sex that I need to be instructed. But I instinctively feel
that YOU must be right, whatever you say. Your eyes would convert an
infidel!"

Again she looked at me with one of those wonderfully brilliant,
seductive, arrowy glances--then she rose to take her leave.

"An angel's visit truly," I said, lightly, "sweet, but brief!"

"We shall meet to-morrow," she replied, smiling. "I consider I have
your promise; you must not fail me! Come as early as you like in the
afternoon, then you will see my little girl Stella. She is very like
poor Fabio. Till to-morrow, adieu!"

She extended her hand. I raised it to my lips. She smiled as she
withdrew it, and looking at me, or rather at the glasses I wore, she
inquired:

"You suffer with your eyes?"

"Ah, madame, a terrible infirmity! I cannot endure the light. But I
should not complain--it is a weakness common to age."

"You do not seem to be old," she said, thoughtfully. With a woman's
quick eye she had noted, I suppose, the unwrinkled smoothness of my
skin, which no disguise could alter. But I exclaimed with affected
surprise:

"Not old! With these white hairs!"

"Many young men have them," she said. "At any rate, they often
accompany middle age, or what is called the prime of life. And really,
in your case, they are very becoming!"

And with a courteous gesture of farewell she moved to leave the room.
Both Ferrari and myself hastened to escort her downstairs t