e! Do not speak! Perhaps the
world will slip and crumble if we but stay still." And they remained
thus cheek to cheek silent in the room, staring forward with eyes wide
open and hopeful. The very air seemed to them a-quiver with
expectation. They, too, had an expectant smile upon their lips. But
there was no crack of thunder overhead, no roar of a slipping world.

[Illustration: "CHEEK TO CHEEK, SILENT IN THE ROOM, STARING FORWARD WITH
EYES WIDE OPEN AND HOPEFUL."--_Page 136_.] The Chevalier was the first
to move.

"But we are children," he cried, starting up. "Is it not strange the
very pain which tortures us because we are man and woman should sink us
into children? We sit hoping that a miracle will split the world in
pieces! This is the Caprara Palace; Whittington drowses outside over his
lantern; and to-morrow Gaydon rides with his passport northwards to
Charles Wogan."

The name hurt Maria Vittoria like a physical torture. She beat her hands
together with a cry, "I hate him! I hate him!"

"Yet I have no better servant!"

"Speak no good word of him in my ears! He robs me of you."

"He risks his life for me."

"I will pray that he may lose it."

"Maria!"

The Chevalier started, thrilled and almost appalled by the violence of
her passion.

"I do pray," she cried. "Every fibre in me tingles with the prayer. Oh,
I hate him! Why did you give him leave to rescue her?"

"Could I refuse? I did delay him; I did hesitate. Only to-day Gaydon
receives the passport, and even so I have delayed too long. Indeed,
Maria, I dare not think of the shame, the danger, her Highness has
endured for me, lest my presence here, even for this farewell, should
too bitterly reproach me."

At that all Maria Vittoria's vehemence left her. She fell to beseechings
and entreaties. With her vehemence went also her dignity. She dropped
upon her knees and dragged herself across the room to him. To James her
humility was more terrible than her passion, for passion had always
distinguished her, and he was familiar with it; but pride had always
gone hand in hand with it. He stepped forward and would have raised her
from the ground, but Maria would have none of his help; she crouched at
his feet pleading.

"You told me business would call you to Spain. Go there! Stay there! For
a little--oh, not for long! But for a month, say, after your Princess
comes triumphing into Bologna. Promise me that! I could not bear that
you should meet her as s