long generations past--there was no other way."

"A vassal so loyal doth honor to him and thee!" the warm-blooded
Venetian maid cried scornfully, with a toss of her dainty head.

Again the Lady Ecciva laughed lightly, but no shadow of discomposure
marred the exquisite outlines of the beautiful, cold face: the skin,
delicate and fine as ivory, showed no flush of color: her eyes and
tresses were dark as night--the eye-brows slender, yet marking a perfect
arc--the eyes beneath them tantalizing, inscrutable--the mouth rosy as
that of a child--the fingers long, sinuous, emphasizing her speech with
movements so unconscious that sometimes they betrayed what her words
left unguessed.

"I do not understand thy vassalship," the Lady Eloisa said with
hesitation--yet eager to know more of her companion's attitude toward
the Queen; they had wandered far down the terrace to the basin where the
swans were floating, opalescent in the sunset light.

Dama Ecciva broke off some oleander blossoms and flung them at the royal
birds with teasing motion, watching them contentedly as, one by one,
they floated away with ruffled plumage and sounds of protest.

"It is a right of our house for many generations," she explained; "being
allied with royalty through the elder branch of the Montferrats, I am a
_dama di maridaggio_ by birth, and since there is no son of our house to
offer homage in return for our fiefs, the duty was mine to do service to
our King and claim our lands of him again. It was a simple ceremony--to
bend the knee and kiss his hand, and make some empty vows--to see my
mother Lady of her lands once more."

"Aye, it were well--if thy vows were not so 'empty,'" Eloisa protested.
"How shouldst thou speak so coldly of thy vision, if thou hadst one
spark of loyalty?"

"It was not _my_ vision," her companion answered nonchalantly; "I slept
the night through, the better to enjoy the day, which, verily, was not
worth taking such trouble for,--so stupid hath it been!"

"But the vision?" Eloisa questioned impatiently--"there was no vision!
Thou hast said it but to frighten me!"

"It is her Majesty who hath had the vision--one can tell it but to look
at her: and for the three fatal shrieks--the shrieks to curdle one's
blood--Josefa told of them but now. _Some_ one hath heard them; but
they hush it in the court for it meaneth disaster."

"I may not stay with thee!" Eloisa cried turning away in hot
displeasure; "not for fear--for I