ed at once to the
presence of the young Princess.

Nada was reclining in an easy-chair, looking a little wan. To her
enraptured lover, her slight pallor only added spirituality to her
beauty.

He felt he must proceed very cautiously. She might wish to ignore that
episode of the previous night, for which the strange circumstances
could furnish a reasonable excuse.

He bowed low over her hand and raised it respectfully to his lips. "I
am so pleased, Princess," he began in rather hesitating tones, "to see
that you are very little the worse for last night's adventure."

A faint colour suffused her cheeks; she withdrew her hand with a
little pettish gesture. It was evident that she did not wish to ignore
the incident of last night.

"Why are you so formal? I am not a Princess to you, but simply Nada,
an unhappy girl whom you rescued and brought here at night, and whom
you said you loved. Have you forgotten all this?"

"No, I have not forgotten," was the fervent answer, "but I was not
sure you might wish to remember. Last night, the circumstances were
very unusual. Feelings of gratitude might have led you farther--"

He paused, for the very good reason that Nada had placed her hand upon
his lips.

"Do you know, you are talking very foolishly, Nello. But no, it is not
altogether foolish. I can guess all that there is in your mind. You
are such a perfect gentleman, so chivalrous where a woman is
concerned. But you need doubt no longer. When I allowed you to kiss me
last night and kissed you back, I gave you my heart once and for all
time."

He bent over her and kissed this time, not her hand, but her lips.

"And you will marry me, you will be my wife?" he asked in a voice that
still expressed hesitation.

"Of course," answered the Princess, with a pretty assumption of
indignation. "Do you think I would suffer any man to kiss me unless I
were sure he were going to be my husband?"

As he walked back to his hotel Corsini felt as if he were treading on
air. How thankful he was to the kindly old Count for that hint, to
strike while the iron was hot. Left to himself, he might have lost her
for want of boldness. And now, Nada had promised to be his wife. Very
shortly he and his dear little sister would both be happily married.

* * * * *

Later in the day, when the Emperor's private cabinet had been cleared
of his official counsellors, Alexander held an important conversation
with a ma