become the husband of a Sphinx!"

He smiled, resting his hand on the Marchese's shoulder with easy
familiarity.

"See where she stands!" he continued,--and they both looked towards the
beautiful flower-bordered terrace at the verge of the gardens
overhanging the sea where for the moment Morgana stood alone, a small
white figure bathed in the deep rose afterglow of the sunken sun--"Like
a pearl dropped in a cup of red wine!--ready to dissolve and disappear!"

His voice had a strange thrill in it, and Giulio looked at him
curiously.

"You admire her very much, my father!" he said, with a touch of
delicate irony in his tone.

"I do, my son!" responded Aloysius, composedly, "But only as a poor
priest may--at a distance!"

The Marchese glanced at him again quickly,--almost suspiciously--and
seemed about to say something further, but checked himself,--and the
two walked on to join their hostess, side by side together.

CHAPTER VIII

Early dawn peered through the dark sky like the silvery light of a pale
lamp carried by an advancing watchman,--and faintly illumined the
outline of a long, high, vastly extending wooden building which, at
about a mile distant from Morgana's "palazzo" ran parallel with the
sea-shore. The star-sparkle of electric lamps within showed it to be
occupied--and the murmur of men's voices and tinkle of working tools
suggested that the occupants were busy. The scarcely visible sea made
pleasant little kissing murmurs on the lip-edges of the sand, and
Nature, drowsing in misty space, seemed no more than the formless void
of the traditional beginning of things.

Outside the building which, by its shape, though but dimly defined
among shadows, was easily recognisable as a huge aerodrome, the tall
figure of Giulio Rivardi paced slowly up and down like a sentinel on
guard. He, whose Marquisate was inherited from many noble Sicilian
houses renowned in Caesar's day, apparently found as much satisfaction
in this occupation as any warrior of a Roman Legion might have
experienced in guarding the tent of his Emperor,--and every now and
then he lifted his eyes to the sky with a sense of impatience at the
slowness of the sun's rising. In his mind he reviewed the whole chapter
of events which during the past three years had made him the paid
vassal of a rich woman's fancy--his entire time taken up, and all the
resources of his inventive and artistic nature (which were
exceptionally great) drawn upon