her to four
persons--an Italian marchioness who moved in the most exclusive Roman
set, the wife of a Sicilian duke, the wife of Jacobi, the wealthy Jew
banker of Turin, and a Captain of Bersaglieri.

One night a lonely but well-dressed stranger entered the restaurant and
seated himself in a corner almost unnoticed, save by Valentine and
myself. The new-comer was the audacious Bindo, passing as Mr.
Bellingham, an Englishman, but he gave us no sign of recognition.
Indeed, the days went on, but he never approached either of us. He
simply idled about the hotel, or across at Pancaldi's, having picked up
one or two acquaintances, kindred spirits in the art of graceful idling.
He never even wrote me a note.

Some deep game was in progress, but its nature I was entirely unable to
gather.

Now, truth to tell, I experienced a growing uneasiness concerning
Rosalie. To me she was always the modest maid devoted to Her Highness,
and yet I thought I once detected a glance of mischief in her dark eyes.
Determined to discover all I could, I at once commenced a violent
flirtation with her, unknown, of course, to Valentine.

Mademoiselle seemed flattered by the attentions of one whom she believed
to be an English gentleman. Therefore I met her out one evening and took
her for a long walk, pretending to be deeply smitten by her charms. From
the first moment I began to talk with her I saw that she was not the
shallow giddy girl I had believed her to be. She, no doubt, appreciated
my attentions, for I took her to a cafe on the opposite side of the
town, where we should not be recognised, and there we sat a long time
chatting. She seemed extremely curious to know who I really was, yet the
queries she put to me were just a trifle blundering. They betrayed an
earnest desire to know more than I intended that she should know.

"I wish Her Highness would go back to Aix-les-Bains, or to Vichy, or to
Luchon. I'm tired of this wretched hole, where I know nobody," she
complained presently. "I had quite sufficient of Italy when I was with
the Duchess of Pandolfini. I did not know we were coming here, otherwise
I should not have accepted the engagement, and yet--well, the Princess
is very kind and considerate."

"She certainly is to her friends, and I hope the same to her servants,"
I said; and then we rose to walk back, for it was nearly eleven, and Her
Highness, who had gone to the Opera with two of the ladies to whom I had
introduced her, woul