She turned white and red, half starting up, but cowed by his manner,
fell back into her seat again.

"Is this my brother," she asked, "or is it the Ambassador?"

"Nay; leave tragedy, Caterina; I am come to bring thee word of a great
opportunity."

"For my people?--For Cyprus?" she responded with instant interest.

He laughed, a curious, unmirthful laugh.

"Aye--for 'thy people'--'for Cyprus,' verily. Listen! Thou hast it in
thy power, at this moment, to bestow a gift upon the Republic--thou who
art the Daughter of Venice--that shall make thee memorable throughout
the ages."

She was taken unaware; yet suddenly the happenings of all the past years
seemed to converge in her, as their central point, binding her hand and
foot so that she might not free herself: an icy bolt shot through her:
"I--I fail to understand," she answered faintly, for there was somewhat
in his look that interpreted the meaning she would fain have missed.

"Aye: it _is_ hard to understand--that thou, who art one of our Casa
Cornaro--a woman--upon whom Venice hath bestowed such fatherly and
unceasing care--should have it in thy power so to reward the Republic,
who might have seized the throne of Cyprus, without waiting for thy
gift! Yet, of her grace, the Serenissima Repubblica doth verily ask it
of thee, as a favor--thou who art Daughter to Venice. Thou mayest well
find it hard to understand!"

She rose, indignantly.

"Hath the Signoria of Venice broken faith with her ally of Cyprus? Is
she not content to wait for the sovereignty of this realm until my
death--knowing that by my will Venice hath been created heir to this
throne--that she should wish to deprive me now of that which hath come
to me through so great sorrow, by the will of my husband, the King?"

He watched her curiously, while the color came and went with her
tumultuous emotions, and her troubled breathing; and he changed his
tone--being subtle.

"I said that the Signoria would have thanked thee for thy gift of the
realm; and that the ages should have decreed thee great honor for thy
queenly giving: but it would have been more of their courtesy than of
thine. For thou dost verily hold too great a matter this little kingdom
of Cyprus--forgetting the nets that have many times been spread for
thee; and the disfavor of those Cyprian nobles who would have a man to
rule over them and not a woman--young and without power--unless Venice
be her ally and defender! Even now, thou m