news that you expect us will be good enough
to tell Giovanni."

"You may greet him from me. But will you not rest awhile before you ride
back? You must be tired."

"No fear of that!" answered the Prince. "You have put a new man into an
old one. I shall never tire of bearing the news of your greetings."

So the old man left her, and mounted his horse and rode up the pass. But
Corona remained for hours in the vaulted hall, pacing up and down. It had
come too soon--far too soon. And yet, how she had longed for it!
how she had wondered whether it would ever come at all!

The situation was sufficiently strange, too. Giovanni had once told her
of his love, and she had silenced him. He was to tell her again, and she
was to accept what he said. He was to ask her to marry him, and her
answer was a foregone conclusion. It seemed as though this greatest event
of her life were planned to the very smallest details beforehand; as
though she were to act a part which she had studied, and which was yet no
comedy because it was the expression of her life's truth. The future had
been, as it were, prophesied and completely foretold to her, and held no
surprises; and yet it was more sweet to think of than all the past
together. She wondered how he would say it, what his words would be, how
he would look, whether he would again be as strangely violent as he
had been that night at the Palazzo Frangipani. She wondered, most of all,
how she would answer him. But it would be long yet. There would be many
meetings, many happy days before that happiest day of all.

Sister Gabrielle saw a wonderful change in Corona's face that afternoon
when they drove up the valley together, and she remarked what wonderful
effect a little variety had upon her companion's spirits--she could not
say upon her health, for Corona seemed made of velvet and steel, so
smooth and dark, and yet so supple and strong. Corona smiled brightly as
she looked far up at the beetling crags behind which Saracinesca was
hidden.

"We shall be up there the day after to-morrow," she said. "How strange it
will seem!" And leaning back, her deep eyes flashed, and she laughed
happily.

On the following evening, again, they drove along the road that led up
the valley. But they had not gone far when they saw in the distance a
cloud of dust, from which in a few moments emerged a vehicle drawn by
three strong horses, and driven by Giovanni Saracinesca himself. His
father sat beside him i