rces
in review, her cheek tingling with honest pleasure at their enthusiastic
greeting. The little Prince had been beside her, crowing his delight at
the music, the motion, the noise, the color, in most unkingly fashion,
quite unconscious that the storied jewel of his realm--the great ruby
that Peter the Valiant had received as the tribute of a conquered
Eastern city, glittering in the lace of his infant-cap, by way of royal
insignia--demanded a regal bearing.

The presentation to the Mocenigo of the golden shield, richly inlaid
with the arms of Cyprus, had made a pretty scenic episode, quite worthy
of dramatic Venice.

For Mutio di Costanzo also, and for the Bernardini, there had been
demonstrations, as Dama Ecciva had foretold: but the Lady Margherita de
Iblin had noticed with uneasiness, that whereas it was a time when the
people, high and low, should have assembled to testify their loyalty and
affection, the crowd was chiefly composed of burghers and peasants from
the hamlets in city neighborhoods, and that many of the old Cyprian
nobles with their tenantry were conspicuously absent. And since the
death of Janus, some of those who had formerly been in attendance at
court, had rarely shown themselves there.

Dama Margherita spoke of this afterwards to the Admiral, for he had
asked for some private conversation with her in her boudoir, when the
ceremonies should be over.

"What mean these absences?" she asked, when they had bemoaned the
situation.

"Venice is feared, not loved," he answered her.

But she was unwilling to confess that she understood him, having a pride
in her land and love for her Queen.

"Pardon, your Excellency," she said, "we were speaking of Cyprus."

He passed the interruption by as unworthy, being greatly in earnest.

"And the Queen--a very lovely young woman--is a mere figurehead--a pawn
to be moved at the discretion of the higher powers."

"Then, my Lord, it should be seen to that she hath a Council competent
to advise," the Lady Margherita retorted with ready indignation,
"instead of a horde of traitors."

Her voice took on a higher key in her excitement, and the Admiral laid
his hand lightly on her arm to quiet her.

"Dear Dama Margherita," he said, "we have been in conference with His
Excellency the Signor Mocenigo--a very remarkable mind--and the
Provveditore Vettore Soranzo; and the vacancies in Her Majesty's Council
have been filled with men, whom may Heaven keep more loyal