d been in a very small measure
prepared for the surprise by having heard him talking in the passage,
though in a very different tone; but she started and gasped audibly as
she looked up and met his resentful eyes.

'Giovanni!' she cried in amazement. 'Is it you? Are you alive?'

But she had no doubt about it, in spite of the heavy beard that hid
the lower part of his face.

'Oh, yes,' he answered rather coldly. 'Quite alive, thank you.'

She held out her hand now, but it was shaking when he took it. Doctor
Pieri looked on in some surprise, but said nothing. One of the
orderlies rang the bell that summoned the supervising nurse.

'Where have you been all these years?' asked the Princess. 'Why have
you never written to your friends?'

'That is a long story,' Giovanni answered, in the same tone as before.
'If you happen to be on friendly terms with the Ministry, you will be
doing the Government a service by not speaking of my return till it is
made public.'

'How mysterious!' The Princess was recovering from her surprise.

Ugo looked from one to the other, watching their faces. It was quite
clear that his brother disliked the middle-aged woman of the world
now, whatever their relations had been in the past, and from her
behaviour when she had recognised him it looked as if the two must
have once been very intimate.

'What are we waiting for?' asked the Captain cheerfully, in order to
break off the conversation.

'The supervising nurse,' answered Pieri. 'She will be here directly.'

'A nun, I suppose,' observed Giovanni carelessly. 'Old and hideous
too, no doubt. Poor Ugo!'

'Not so much to be pitied as you think,' said the Princess. 'She is
still young, and must have been very pretty! She is worth looking at,
I assure you.'

Her own astonishment and recent emotion were already forgotten in the
pleasure of looking forward to the recognition which must take place
within a few moments. She had hated her niece long and unrelentingly,
and she had never forgiven Giovanni for what she called in her heart
his betrayal; but the reckoning was to be settled in full at last, and
she knew that if Sister Giovanna could choose, she would rather pay it
with her flesh and blood than meet what was before her now.

Giovanni was looking towards the door when the nun opened it, and the
strong morning light fell full on her face as she came forward.
Naturally enough, her eyes were at first turned downwards towards
Ugo's face,