, the anger in her eyes unabated, began to walk back and forth,
and there was something tigerish in the light step and the quick turn.
The others, knowing her to be a woman of fertile invention, patiently
and in silence waited for her to speak.

But the silence was broken unexpectedly by O'Mally. He gripped Smith by
the arm and pointed toward the path leading to the gates.

"Look!" he whispered.

All turned, and what they saw in nowise relieved the tenseness of the
situation. Two _carabinieri_ and an inspector of seals, dusty but stern
of countenance, came up the path. O'Mally, recollecting the vast prison
at Naples, saw all sorts of dungeons, ankle-deep in sea-water, and iron
bars, shackles and balls. Every one stood up and waited for this new
development to unfold itself. La Signorina alone seemed indifferent to
this official cortege. The inspector signed to the _carabinieri_, who
stopped. He came on. Without touching his cap--a bad sign--he laid upon
the tea-table a card and a newspaper, familiar now to them all.

"Signora," he said politely but coldly to the whilom prima donna, "will
you do me the honor to explain this? We have some doubts as to the
authority upon which this invitation was issued." He spoke fluent
English, for the benefit of all concerned.

Hillard waited for her answer, dreading he knew not what.

She spoke evenly, almost insolently. "The invitation is perfectly
regular."

Everybody experienced a chill.

This time the inspector bowed. "Then her Highness will occupy her
villa?"

"She is already in possession. I am the Principessa di Monte Bianca,"
calmly.

Had an earthquake shattered the surrounding hills, and gulfs opened at
their feet, it could not have spread terror more quickly among the
transient guests at the Villa Ariadne than this declaration. They were
appalled; they stood like images, without the power to take their eyes
off this woman. This transcendental folly simply paralyzed them. They
knew that she was not the princess; and here, calmly and negligently,
she was jeoparding their liberty as well as her own. Mad, mad! For
imposture of this caliber was a crime, punishable by long imprisonment;
and Italy always contrived to rake in a dozen or so accomplices. They
were all lost indeed, unless they could escape and leave La Signorina
alone to bear the brunt of her folly.

The keen-eyed inspector took mental note of these variant expressions.

"Your Highness," he said, his cap