pon him. The poor young man, I am sure, is profoundly
perplexed. But I whisper to him every day, 'Pazienza, Signor Principe!'"

"So you firmly believe," said Rowland, in conclusion, "that Miss Light
will accept him just in time not to lose him!"

"I count upon it. She would make too perfect a princess to miss her
destiny."

"And you hold that nevertheless, in the mean while, in listening to,
say, my friend Hudson, she will have been acting in good faith?"

The Cavaliere lifted his shoulders a trifle, and gave an inscrutable
smile. "Eh, dear signore, the Christina is very romantic!"

"So much so, you intimate, that she will eventually retract, in
consequence not of a change of sentiment, but of a mysterious outward
pressure?"

"If everything else fails, there is that resource. But it is mysterious,
as you say, and you need n't try to guess it. You will never know."

"The poor signorina, then, will suffer!"

"Not too much, I hope."

"And the poor young man! You maintain that there is nothing but
disappointment in store for the infatuated youth who loses his heart to
her!"

The Cavaliere hesitated. "He had better," he said in a moment, "go and
pursue his studies in Florence. There are very fine antiques in the
Uffizi!"

Rowland presently joined Mrs. Light, to whom her restless protege had
not yet returned. "That 's right," she said; "sit down here; I have
something serious to say to you. I am going to talk to you as a friend.
I want your assistance. In fact, I demand it; it 's your duty to render
it. Look at that unhappy young man."

"Yes," said Rowland, "he seems unhappy."

"He is just come of age, he bears one of the greatest names in Italy and
owns one of the greatest properties, and he is pining away with love for
my daughter."

"So the Cavaliere tells me."

"The Cavaliere should n't gossip," said Mrs. Light dryly. "Such
information should come from me. The prince is pining, as I say; he 's
consumed, he 's devoured. It 's a real Italian passion; I know what that
means!" And the lady gave a speaking glance, which seemed to coquet
for a moment with retrospect. "Meanwhile, if you please, my daughter is
hiding in the woods with your dear friend Mr. Hudson. I could cry with
rage."

"If things are so bad as that," said Rowland, "it seems to me that you
ought to find nothing easier than to dispatch the Cavaliere to bring the
guilty couple back."

"Never in the world! My hands are tied. Do you know what