"No reply," she said; and the man, bowing, withdrew. "Nino," she exclaimed in a voice of deep earnestness when the servant had gone, "you may think it extraordinary, but for your sake, because I love no other man but yourself, I have resolved to risk my life and free myself. This telegram makes it imperative that we should leave again for England to-night. You have shown trust in me; you do not believe all the idle tales gossips have littered. I love you, Nino. If I prove victor, I gain your affection, and happiness always with you. If I lose, then I die, unwillingly, but nevertheless in the confidence that to the end you trusted me." "No, no!" he cried fiercely. "You shall not die! You shall never be taken from me! I adore you, Gemma! God knows I love you, darling!" "Then you will never doubt me--never!" she cried, clinging closely to him, and raising her beautiful face to his. "You will not doubt me even if, to gain my end, I feign love for another. To him, my kisses shall be Judas-kisses, my smiles mockery, my lips venom, my embrace the chilling embrace of death. Hear me?" she cried wildly. "I go to England with a purpose--a vendetta complete and terrible which I will accomplish by hatred--or, failing that, by love. Both will be equally fatal." CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. ON THE NIGHT WIND. "You still wear your ring, I see," Malvano exclaimed with a merry twinkle in his eyes one morning a fortnight later, while Gemma was sitting at breakfast at Lyddington with Nenci and his wife. The thin-faced, black-haired man had rejoined his wife suddenly a few days before, and since Gemma had returned they had formed quite a merry quartette. She had satisfactorily explained her sudden disappearance, and had concocted a clever story of complications regarding her estate to account for her journey to Italy. Both men, knowing she was "wanted" by the Italian police, marvelled at her audacity in going back and her adroitness in evading arrest. "I don't always wear the ring," she answered, raising her hand and contemplating it. "Let me see," exclaimed Nenci, who was seated beside her. In response she handed it to him. It was unusually large for a lady, but of antique design. In the centre was a large oval turquoise, around which were set two rows of diamonds, all of beautiful colour and lustre, while the gold which encircled the finger was much thicker than usual, the whole forming a rather massive but extremely handsome ornament. Nenci held it for a moment, admiring it with the eye of a connoisseur, for by trade he was a jeweller, although he had performed, among other duties, those of waiter in a City restaurant. He declared at once that the diamonds were dirty beneath their settings, and, rising from the table, scrutinised it closely at the window.