swered in an
awe-struck tone: "_The vision of the Melusina--the fate of the
Lusignans!_ Didst thou not hear her shriek from the Castle of Lusignan
in the dead of night?"

"_The Melusina?_ Ecciva, who is _the_ '_Melusina_?'"

"She is the evil genius of the House of Lusignan," Ecciva explained to
her excited companion, "all Cyprus knoweth that when the Melusina crieth
three times from the towers of the ancient Chateau of Lusignan, in far
France, it meaneth death, or some great misfortune to a ruler of this
house."

"And thou--didst hear this lamentation verily, Ecciva? I should have
died from fear!"

"Yea, thou being from Venice--not knowing that it bodeth not harm for
thee--it is misfortune only for some ruler of their house of Lusignan."

"And that is naught to thee!" the Venetian girl exclaimed in
astonishment. "Thy King--is he nothing to thee?"

"One knoweth not," the other answered nonchalantly. "There is
Carlotta--both of the house of Lusignan; and she might be kinder than
King Janus who seized the fiefs of my father because he came not forth
to do him homage when he landed with his army from Alexandria."

Eloisa drew herself impetuously away from her companion who was watching
her through long, half-closed eyes.

"Thou then--why art thou here?" she exclaimed indignantly, "in service
of my beloved Lady, who is so good and fair, if thou lovest her not--nor
the King!"

The youthful Dama Ecciva laughed lightly:

"Thou art a veritable _turco_ for fierceness, Eloisa! I have naught
against her Majesty, who truly is most fair and gracious--quite other
than Carlotta--whom I love not at all! And if I held some grudge against
the King for seizing of my father's lands (which broke his heart before
he died) one cannot long be churlish in presence of our Janus, who hath
a matchless fashion of grace with him, so that all think to have won his
favor. Verily, that is a King for Cyprus!--he mindeth one of Cinyras. I
must tell thee the tale of our hero of Cyprus some day, Eloisa."

"Aye: but tell me now--how camest thou at Court if the King hath wronged
thy house?"

"Such eyes thou hast!--like a frightened child! I know not if I shall
reach thy comprehension, were I to answer thee--but I, being only
daughter to my father, Gualtier of Montferrat, who had no son--plead
with my mother to send me hither when I came of age, to do homage
loyally to King Janus, and claim our fiefs of him again--I being his
vassal by right of