cts of art, and gardens which are thought worthy of a
visit."

"We live here, sir, apart from the world. It is for that reason we have
selected this residence," replied she, coldly.

"I shall respect your seclusion, madame," answered he, with a deep bow,
"and only beg once more to tender my sincere apologies for the past." He
moved towards the door as he spoke, the ladies courtesied deeply, and,
with a still lowlier reverence, he passed out.

The Duke lingered in the garden, as though unwilling to leave the spot.
For a while some doubt as to whether he had been recognized passed
through his mind, but he soon satisfied himself that such was not the
case, and the singularity of the situation amused him.

"I am culling a souvenir, madame," said he, plucking a moss-ross as the
lady passed.

"I will give you a better one, sir," said she, detaching one from her
bouquet, and handing it to him. And so they parted.

"_Per Bacco!_ Stubber, I have seen two very charming women. They are
evidently persons of condition; find out all about them, and let me
hear it to-morrow." And so say-ing, his Highness rode away, thinking
pleasantly over his adventure, and fancying a hundred ways in which it
might be amusingly carried out. The life of princes is rarely fertile
in surprises; perhaps, therefore, the uncommon and unusual are the
pleasantest of all their sensations.

CHAPTER XXVI. ITALIAN TROUBLES

Stubber knew his master well. There was no need for any "perquisitions"
on his part; the ladies, the studio, and the garden were totally
forgotten ere nightfall. Some rather alarming intelligence had arrived
from Carrara, which had quite obliterated every memory of his late
adventure. That little town of artists had long been the resort of an
excited class of politicians, and it was more than rumored that the
"Carbonari" had established there a lodge of their order. Inflammatory
placards had been posted through the town--violent denunciations of
the Government--vengeance, even on the head of the sovereign, openly
proclaimed, and a speedy day promised when the wrongs of an enslaved
people should be avenged in blood. The messenger who brought the
alarming tidings to Massa carried with him many of the inflammatory
documents, as well as several knives and poniards, discovered by the
activity of the police in a ruined building at the sea-shore. No
arrests had as yet been made, but the authorities were in possession of
information wit