ve forgotten everything, except that I love you."

"Giovanni,"--she lingered on the name,--"Giovanni, we must tell your
father at once."

"Are you willing I should?" he asked, eagerly.

"Of course--he ought to know; and Sister Gabrielle too. But no one else
must be told. There must be no talk of this in Rome until--until next
year."

"We will stay in the country until then, shall we not?" asked Giovanni,
anxiously. "It seems to me so much better. We can meet here, and nobody
will talk. I will go and live in the town at Astrardente, and play the
engineer, and build your roads for you."

"I hardly know," said Corona, with a doubtful smile. "You could not do
that. But you may come and spend the day once--in a week, perhaps."

"We will arrange all that," answered Giovanni, laughing. "If you think I
can exist by only seeing you once a week--well, you do not know me."

"We shall see," returned Corona, laughing too. "By the bye, how long have
we been here?"

"I do not know," said Giovanni; "but the view is magnificent, is it not?"

"Enchanting," she replied, looking into his eyes. Then suddenly the blood
mounted to her cheeks. "Oh, Giovanni," she said, "how could I do it?"

"I should have died if you had not," he answered, and clasped her once
more in his arms.

"Come," said she, "let us be going down. It is growing late."

When they reached the foot of the tower, they found the Prince walking
the rampart alone. Sister Gabrielle was afraid of the evening air, and
had retired into the house. Old Saracinesca faced them suddenly. He
looked like an old lion, his thick white hair and beard bristling about
his dark features.

"My father," said Giovanni, coming forward, "the Duchessa d'Astrardente
has consented to be my wife. I crave your blessing."

The old man started, and then stood stock-still. His son had fairly taken
his breath away, for he had not expected the news for three or four
months to come. Then he advanced and took Corona's hand, and kissed it.

"Madam," he said, "you have done my son an honour which extends to myself
and to every Saracinesca, dead, living, and to come."

Then he laid Corona's hand in Giovanni's, and held his own upon them
both.

"God bless you," he said, solemnly; and as Corona bent her proud head, he
touched her forehead with his lips. Then he embraced Giovanni, and his
joy broke out in wild enthusiasm.

"Ha, my children," he cried, "there has not been such a couple as you are