"No,--it was wonderful"--he admitted, reluctantly; "Especially for a
first attempt. And now she declares she will travel with the 'White
Eagle' alone! Alone! Think of it! That little creature alone in the air
with a huge air-ship under her sole control! The very idea is madness!"

"Have patience, Giulio!" said Don Aloysius, gently--"I think she cannot
mean what she says in this particular instance. She is naturally full
of triumph at the success of her invention,--an amazing invention you
must own!--and her triumph makes her bold. But be quite easy in your
mind!--she will not travel alone!"

"She will--she will!" declared Rivardi, passionately--"She will do
anything she has a mind to do! As well try to stop the wind as stop
her! She has some scheme in her brain,--so fantastic vision of that
Brazen City you spoke of the other day--"

Don Aloysius gave a sudden start.

"No!--not possible!" he said--"She will not pursue a phantasm,--a
dream!"

He spoke nervously, and his face paled. Rivardi looked at him curiously.

"There is no such place then?" he asked--"It is only a legend?"

"Only a legend!" replied Aloysius, slowly--"Some travellers say it is a
mirage of the desert,--others tell stories of having heard the bells in
the brazen towers ring,--but no one--NO ONE," and he repeated the words
with emphasis--"has ever been able to reach even the traditional
environs of the place. Our hostess," and he smiled--"is a very
wonderful little person, but even she will hardly be able to discover
the undiscoverable!"

"Can we say that anything is undiscoverable?" suggested Rivardi.

Don Aloysius thought a moment before replying.

"Perhaps not!"--he said, at last--"Our life all through is a voyage of
discovery wherein we have no certainty of the port of arrival. The
puzzling part of it is that we often 'discover' what has been
discovered before in past ages where the discoverers seemed to make no
use of their discoveries!--and so we lose ourselves in wonder--and
often in weariness!" He sighed,--then added--"Had we not better go in
and prepare to meet our hostess at dinner? And Giulio!--unbend your
brows!--you must not get angry with your charming benefactress! If you
do not let her have HER way, she will never let you have YOURS!"

Rivardi gave a resigned gesture.

"Oh, MINE! I must give up all hope--she will never think of me more
than as a workman who has carried out her design. There is something
very strange about he