nk what he meant, until we arrived at the harbour of which
he had spoken. There, among two or three canopied row-boats was one as
different as a swan is from geese. It had no canopy; and as the Prince
brought me down to the quay, a man who had been sitting in the boat
jumped up and touched his cap, which was shaped like a chauffeur's. And
sure enough it was a chauffeur's, for this was a motor-boat, which had
been lent by friends to Prince Dalmar-Kalm, especially for him to take
me on the lake by moonlight.

He told me that he had hurried to Bellagio on purpose to borrow it, and
if we did not leave too early to-morrow the people would call on
me--distinguished people, who would delight in doing honour to the
"American Countess."

Those were his very words; and he was so kind that I hadn't the heart to
let him see I was frightened to go out in the motor-boat. I should have
been far happier in a slow, comfortable old row-boat; and when I found
that the Prince intended to leave the chauffeur behind, and manage the
thing himself, my heart felt as if it had melted and begun to trickle
down between my ribs. It did seem hard, just as I had got used to a
motor-car, to have this new experience thrust upon me, all unprepared.
Often I had thought what noble sentiments one ought to utter while
driving in an automobile, considering that, at any moment your next
words might be your last! but as we shot away from that little quay, out
into the cold white path of the moon, I felt that to save my life I
couldn't have uttered any sentiments at all.

The Prince, however, appeared to be happy, and to have perfect
confidence in himself, in spite of the water looking twice as wet as it
had looked in the afternoon. This motor was of the same make as that in
his car, he said; it was by his advice that his friends had bought it,
therefore he understood it very well, and where would I like to go?

"Anywhere," I answered, as pleasantly as a woman can, whose heart has
just turned to water.

"If I could but flatter myself that you meant anywhere with _me_!" he
exclaimed. "To me, also, our destination is indifferent, provided that I
am with you and have you to myself, undisturbed by others not worthy to
approach you. Do you know, Countess, this is the first time you have
ever been alone with me, for more than a few moments?"

"It's only been a few minutes now," I faltered, for the sake of
something to say.

"Ah, but it will be many minutes be