d by what had taken place to pay much attention to what was,
after all, a detail.

She looked about her and saw that there was another door by which
Lamberti would presently enter to let her out. There was the great bed
with the coverlet of old arras displaying the royal arms, and beside it
stood a small table of mahogany inlaid with brass. It had tall and
slender legs that ended below in little brass lions' paws, and it had a
single drawer.

Without hesitation she went and opened it. Lamberti had been right.
There was the revolver, a silver-mounted weapon with an ivory handle,
much more for ornament than use, but quite effective enough for the
purpose to which Guido might put it. Beside it lay a little pile of
notes in their envelopes, and she involuntarily recognised her own
handwriting. He had kept all she had written to him within his reach
while he had been ill, and the thought pained her. The revolver was a
very light one, made with only five chambers. She took it and examined
it when she had shut the drawer again, and she saw that it was fully
loaded. Old Fortiguerra had taught her to use firearms a little, and she
knew how to load and unload them. She slipped the cartridges out quickly
and tied them together in her handkerchief, and then dropped them into
her parasol and the revolver after them.

She went to the tall mirror in the door of the wardrobe and began to
arrange her veil, expecting Lamberti every moment. She had hardly
finished when he entered and beckoned to her. She caught up her parasol
by the middle so as to hold its contents safely, and in a few seconds
she was outside the front door of the apartment. Lamberti drew a breath
of relief.

"Take those!" she said quickly, producing the pistol and the cartridges.
"He must not have them."

Lamberti took the weapon and put it into his pocket, and held the
parasol, while she untied the handkerchief and gave him the contents.
Both began to go downstairs.

"I had better tell you who came," Lamberti said, as they went. "You will
be surprised. It was your mother."

"My mother!" Cecilia stopped short on the step she had reached. "I did
not think she meant to come!"

She went on, and Lamberti kept by her side.

"You can seem surprised when she tells you," he said. "You have
definitely broken your engagement, then? Guido had time to tell me so."

"Yes, I could not lie to him. It was very hard, but I am glad it is all
over, though he is very angry now