that he had some doubts.

"But you won't betray her?"

"Never!" puffing quickly.

"It's a bad business," admitted O'Mally. This old rascal of a gardener
was as hard to pump as a frozen well.

Pietro agreed that it was a bad business. "Eenspector, he come to-day,
_domani_--to-morrow. He come nex' day; watch, watch!" Pietro elevated
his shoulders slowly and dropped them sharply. "All ar-r-r-rest!"

"You think so?"

"_Si._"

"But you wouldn't betray her for money, Pietro?"

"No!" energetically.

Pietro might be loyal; still, O'Mally had some shadow of doubt.

"La Signorina is very beautiful," irrelevantly. "Ah!" with a gesture
toward the heavens. "And if she isn't a princess, she ought to be one,"
slyly.

"_Zitto!_ She come!" Pietro got up with alacrity, pocketing his pipe,
careful that the bowl was right side up.

She was as daintily fresh in her pink frock as a spring tulip; a frock,
thought O'Mally, that would have passed successfully in any ball-room.
She was as beautiful as the moon, and to this bit of Persian O'Mally
added, conscious of a deep intake of breath, the stars and the farther
worlds and the roses close at hand. Her eyes were shining, but her color
was thin. O'Mally, for all his buffoonery, was a keen one to read a
face. She was highly strung. Where would they all land finally?

"I have been looking for you, Mr. O'Mally," she said.

"At your Highness' command!"

Pietro, hearing this title, looked from one to the other suspiciously.

"I have just received a telegram from her Highness."

An expression of relief flitted over Pietro's withered countenance.

"It wasn't necessary," said O'Mally gallantly.

"But I wish you to read it. I know that you will cease to dream of
dungeons and shackles." There was a bit of a laugh in her voice. It was
reassuring.

"All right." O'Mally accepted the yellow sheet which the government
folds and pastes economically. There were fifty words or more. "I can
make out a word or two," he said; "it's in Italian. Will you read it for
me?"

"I forgot," apologetically.

Briefly, La Principessa di Monte Bianca gave Sonia Hilda Grosvenor full
authority to act as her proxy in giving the ball; that in case of any
difficulty with the civil authorities to wire her at once and she would
come. As for the invitation, she knew absolutely nothing about it.

This last statement rather staggered the erstwhile concierge. If the
princess hadn't issued the invitation, who