coronet from her head,
returning it to its case. She let the necklace remain about her throat.

"You have not told me about your father's discovery," she said, suddenly.

"Yes--I will tell you."

In a few minutes he communicated to her the details of the journey. She
listened with profound interest.

"It is very strange," she said. "And yet it is so very natural."

"You see it is all Del Ferice's doing," said Giovanni. "I suppose it was
really an accident in the first place; but he managed to make a great
deal of it. It is certainly very amusing to find that the last of the
other branch is an innkeeper in the Abruzzi. However, I daresay we
shall never hear of him again. He does not seem inclined to claim his
title. Corona _mia_, I have something much more serious to say to you
to-night."

"What is it?" she asked, turning her great dark eyes rather wonderingly
to his face.

"There is no reason why we should not be married, now--"

"Do you think I ever believed there was?" she asked, reproachfully.

"No, dear. Only--would you mind its being very soon?"

The dark blood rose slowly to her cheek, but she answered without any
hesitation. She was too proud to hesitate.

"Whenever you please, Giovanni. Only it must be very quiet, and we will
go straight to Saracinesca. If you agree to those two things, it shall be
as soon as you please."

"Next week? A week from Sunday?" asked Giovanni, eagerly.

"Yes--a week from Sunday. I would rather not go through the ordeal of a
long engagement. I cannot bear to have every one here, congratulating me
from morning till night, as they insist upon doing."

"I will send the people out to Saracinesca to-morrow," said Giovanni, in
great delight. "They have been at work all winter, making the place
respectable."

"Not changing, I hope?" exclaimed Corona, who dearly loved the old grey
walls.

"Only repairing the state apartments. By the by, I met Gouache this
evening. He is going out with a company of Zouaves to hunt the brigands,
if there really are any."

"I hope he will not come near us," answered Corona. "I want to be all
alone with you, Giovanni, for ever so long. Would you not rather be
alone for a little while?" she asked, looking up suddenly with a timid
smile. "Should I bore you very much?"

It is unnecessary to record Giovanni's answer. If Corona longed to be
alone with him in the hills, Giovanni himself desired such a retreat
still more. To be out of the world, ev