He understood that she had really cared for his brother, and looked at
her with more interest than he had hitherto shown.

'I am afraid that there is not the slightest possibility of his being
alive,' he said, with a sadness in which there was also some sympathy
for her.

She had hoped for an indiscreet question, which would allow her to say
something more. It was of no real importance to her to know whether he
bore her any grudge or not, but since she had taken so much trouble to
see him she did not mean to go away without knowing the truth, and
though her curiosity was a mere caprice, it was perhaps not a very
unreasonable one.

'Had you seen much of him during the last months before he went to
Africa?' she asked. 'I did not know you till long after that, you
know. I think you were always away?'

'I was stationed in Pavia,' the Captain answered. 'Giovanni joined the
expedition at short notice and I was not able to see him before he
started. I have always regretted it, for we had not met for eighteen
months.'

'You were never very intimate, I suppose?' suggested the Princess.

'We were always very good friends, but after he was appointed to the
Staff we saw little of each other.'

The Princess mused in silence for a few moments.

'I was very fond of him,' she said at last. 'Did he ever talk about me
to you?'

'No,' Ugo answered. 'Not that I can remember.'

Their eyes met and she saw that he was telling the truth, as, in fact,
he always did.

'I suppose you have heard that he was in love with my poor niece, who
went into a convent after he was lost?' she said tentatively, and
watching his face.

'Indeed?' He showed more interest. 'I never heard of that. Were they
engaged to be married?'

'No. At least, there was no formal engagement. My brother-in-law was
killed in a motor accident just at that time. Then Giovanni went to
Massowah, and you know the rest. But they were very much in love with
each other, and Angela was broken-hearted.'

She now knew what she had come to find out, and she did not care to
rouse his curiosity as to her own share in the story, since no gossip
had taken the trouble to enlighten him.

'Has she taken permanent vows?' he asked.

'Yes. Three years ago, and now it is said that she means to go out to
the Rangoon Leper Hospital. I daresay you have heard that a good many
nuns do that. It is almost certain death and we all feel very badly
about Angela.'

'Poor girl!' exclaimed