that the strain of her journey was
telling its tale even upon her vigorous youth. It may be that she noted
his look of anxiety, but she said to him abruptly and with a sort of
rebellion,--

"You would despise any woman who had the temerity to change her mind."

"Nay; I do not say that."

"But it is merely politeness that restrains you. You would despise her,
judging her by men. When a man changes his mind, why, it is so, he
changes his mind. But when a girl does, it may well be that for the
first time she is seriously exercising her judgment. For her upbringing
renders it natural that she should allow others to make up her mind for
her at the first."

"That I think is very true," said Wogan.

Clementina, however, was not satisfied with his assent. She attacked him
again and almost vindictively.

"You of course would never change your mind for any reason, once it was
fixed. You are resolute. You are quite, quite perfect."

Mr. Wogan could not imagine what he had done thus to provoke her irony.

"Madam," he pleaded, "I am not in truth so obstinate a fellow as you
make me out. I have often changed my mind. I take some pride in it on
occasion."

Her Highness inclined to a greater graciousness.

"I am glad to know it. You shall give me examples. One may have a stiff
neck and yet no cause for pride."

Wogan looked so woe-begone under this reproof that Clementina suddenly
broke out into a laugh, and so showed herself in a fresh and more
familiar mood. The good-humour continued; she sat opposite to Mr. Wogan;
if she moved, her hand, her knee, her foot, must needs touch his; she
made him tell her stories of his campaigns; and so the evening came upon
them,--an evening of stars and mysterious quiet and a clear, dark sky.

They passed Roveredo; they drew near to Ala, the last village in the
Emperor's territories. Five miles beyond Ala they would be on Venetian
soil, and already they saw the lights of the village twinkling like so
many golden candles. But the berlin, which had drawn them so stoutly
over these rugged mountain-roads, failed them at the last. One of the
hind wheels jolted violently upon a great stone, there was a sudden
cracking of wood, and the carriage lurched over, throwing its occupants
one against the other.

Wogan disentangled himself, opened the door, and sprang out. He sprang
out into a pool of water. One glance at the carriage, dark though the
night was, told him surely what had happened. The