, turning to his companion, he asked: "Has it
occurred to you to get any information about Basilicata, or about
the ancestral domain of the Moliterni, from our consul-general at
Naples?"

Richard hesitated. "Well--yes. Yes, I did think of that. Yes, I
thought of it."

"But you didn't do it."

"No. That is, I haven't yet. You see, Corliss explained to me
that----"

His friend interrupted him with a sour laugh. "Oh, certainly! He's
one of the greatest explainers ever welcomed to our city!"

Richard said mildly: "And then, Ray, once I've gone into a thing
I--I don't like to seem suspicious."

"Poor old Dick!" returned Vilas compassionately. "You kind, easy,
sincere men are so conscientiously untruthful with yourselves. You
know in your heart that Cora would be furious with you if you
seemed suspicious, and she's been so nice to you since you put in
your savings to please her, that you can't bear to risk offending
her. She's twisted you around her little finger, and the unnamed
fear that haunts you is that you won't be allowed to stay
there--even twisted!"

"Pretty decorations, Ray," said Richard; but he grew very red.

"Do you know what you'll do," asked Ray, regarding him keenly, "if
this Don Giovanni from Sunny It' is shown up as a plain
get-rich-quick swindler?"

"I haven't considered----"

"You would do precisely," said Ray, "nothing! Cora'd see to that.
You'd sigh and go to work again, beginning at the beginning where
you were years ago, and doing it all over. Admirable resignation,
but not for me! I'm a stockholder in his company and in shape to
`take steps'! I don't know if I'd be patient enough to make them
legal--perhaps I should. He may be safe on the legal side. I'll
know more about that when I find out if there is a Prince
Moliterno in Naples who owns land in Basilicata."

"You don't doubt it?"

"I doubt everything! In this particular matter I'll have less to
doubt when I get an answer from the consul-general. _I_'ve
written, you see."

Lindley looked disturbed. "You have?"

Vilas read him at a glance. "You're afraid to find out!" he cried.
Then he set his hand on the other's shoulder. "If there ever was a
God's fool, it's you, Dick Lindley. Really, I wonder the world
hasn't kicked you around more than it has; you'd never kick back!
You're as easy as an old shoe. Cora makes you unhappy," he went
on, and with the very mention of her name, his voice shook with
passion,--"but on my soul I don