o it with ropes, and dragged the cumbrous carriage up the
last hill with furious speed, shouting and singing like madmen in the
cool mountain air. Up the steep they rushed, and under the grand old
gateway, made as bright as day with flaming torches; and then there
went up a shout that struck the old vaults like a wild chord of fierce
music, and Corona knew that her journey was ended.

So it was that Giovanni Saracinesca brought home his bride.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The old Prince was left alone, as he had often been left before, when
Giovanni was gone to the ends of the earth in pursuit of his amusements.
On such occasions old Saracinesca frequently packed up his traps and
followed his son's example; but he rarely went further than Paris, where
he had many friends, and where he generally succeeded in finding
consolation for his solitude.

Now, however, he felt more than usually lonely. Giovanni had not gone
far, it is true, for with good horses it was scarcely more than eight
hours to the castle; but, for the first time in his life, old Saracinesca
felt that if he had suddenly determined to follow his son, he would not
be welcome. The boy was married at last, and must be left in peace for a
few days with his bride. With the contrariety natural to him, old
Saracinesca no sooner felt that his son was gone than he experienced the
most ardent desire to be with him. He had often seen Giovanni leave the
house at twenty-four hours' notice on his way to some distant capital,
and had not cared to accompany him, simply because he knew he might do so
if he pleased; but now he felt that some one else had taken his place,
and that, for a time at least, he was forcibly excluded from Giovanni's
society. It is very likely that but for the business which detained him
in Rome he would have astonished the happy pair by riding into the
gateway of the old castle on the day after the wedding: that business,
however, was urgent, secret, and, moreover, very congenial to the old
man's present temper.

He had discussed the matter fully with Giovanni, and they had agreed upon
the course to be pursued. There was, nevertheless, much to be done before
the end they both so earnestly desired could be attained. It seemed a
simple plan to go to Cardinal Antonelli and to demand the arrest of Del
Ferice for his misdeeds; but as yet those misdeeds were undefined, and it
was necessary to define them. The Cardinal rarely resorted to such
measures exc