"Her mother was Italian. It is the schooling in this country that has made her so clever. The only thing Italian about her is her hatred. She is my countrywoman there. Without her consent I can touch nothing; and if I divorce her, pouff! all goes to the State. Sometimes I long to get my two hands round her white throat. One mistake, one little mistake! I am willing to swear that she loved me in the beginning. And I was a fool not to profit by this sentiment. Give me patience, patience. If I say to her, so much and you may have your freedom, there is always that cursed will. The crown of Italy will never withdraw its hand; no. With his wife's family on his hands, especially her brother, the king will never waive his rights." "Zut! softly, softly!" "Oh, I speak with no disrespect. But let me find her." "I doubt it. And remember, we have but ten days." "We shall not find time heavy. I know a few rich butchers and grocers who call themselves the aristocracy." They laughed. "And some of them play bridge and ecarte." The diplomat jingled his keys. He was not averse to adding a few gold pieces to his purse. "I have followed her step by step to the boat at Naples. She is here. She is not so inconspicuous that she will be hard to find. She has wealthy friends, and from these I shall learn her whereabouts." "You say she is beautiful; I would that I had seen her." "Yes, she is beautiful; and a beautiful woman can not hide, even in a city so big and noisy as this. Think of it! Chateaux and villas and splendid rents, all waiting to be gormandized by the State! I have lied to her, I have humiliated myself, I have offered all the reparation a gentleman possibly could. Nothing, nothing! She knows; it is money, and she knows it is money. The American native shrewdness! My father was a fool and so was hers. And on July first comes the end! Let us get out into the air before I become excited and forget where I am." "As you wish, _amico_." The diplomat beckoned to the waiter. The waiter stepped forward with the coats and hats. His tip was exactly ten cents, and out of this the head waiter must have his percentage. Three nights later, as Hillard and Merrihew were dining together at the club, the steward came into the grill-room and swept his placid eye over the groups of diners. Singling out Hillard, he came solemnly down to the corner table and laid a blue letter at the side of Hillard's plate. "I did not see you when you came in, sir," said the steward, his voice as solemn as his step. "The letter arrived yesterday." "Thank you, Thomas." With no small difficulty Hillard composed his face and repressed the eagerness in his eyes. She had seen, she had written, the letter lay under his hand! Who said that romance had taken flight? True, the reading of the letter might disillusion him; but always would there be that vision and the voice coming out of the fog. Nonchalantly he turned the letter face downward and went on with the meal.