his was exactly
what his mother had expected.

CHAPTER XIV

The sequel shall be told in a letter written by Theresa Leaney to
Mansana's mother, and sent from the princess's Hungarian estate not
long after the events set forth in the last chapter:

"DEAREST MOTHER,

"At last you shall have a connected account of all that has
happened since we parted at Naples. Excuse me if at times I repeat
what I have told you already.

"Well, then, you must know that after our wedding Giuseppe's gloomy
reserve was replaced by a devoted and humble zeal to do me service
which made me anxious; it seemed so strange in him. His old
confidence and self-reliance did not return till after our visit to
the town in which he had last been quartered. He quite understood
why you wanted us to go there first of all; and how worthy of our
love he showed himself! Among his comrades he had, as it were, to
run the gauntlet; he faced the trial at once, and with a courage
which I think may well be called heroic. And I should also like to
tell you a little about a certain young bride who helped him then.
You must understand that never in her life had she seemed more
brilliant, more joyous, than at this time, when it was a question
of supporting this noble lover through his days of humiliation. Her
gestures, her words, her whole bearing seemed to challenge the
question: 'Who dare say anything against him when I say nothing?'

"I have, I am afraid, still so much coquetry left as to be half
inclined to give you particulars of my costumes on each of these
three days. (I had got my maid to come to me from Ancona with some
dresses.) But I will have the modesty to forbear.

"And so it came about that, after those three days of struggle in
the mountain town, this same young bride found herself loved as not
many women have ever been loved before; for there is power in that
deep temperament, which you, dear friend, have given him out of
your own perfect soul. But I must not forget to praise the man
Sardi; for a man he is indeed! He had done a most excellent service
in giving it to be understood that Mansana had been ill--as, in
fact, he was--and that you and I had nursed him back to health. It
was fortunate that Mansana, who had already gained fame among his
comrades, had now laid up a store