ny.

To Ri-Ri it seemed irrevocable things were being said. But she still
held lightly away from him, resisting the clumsy pull of his arm. He
hesitated--laughed oddly.

"It ought to be against the law for any girl to look the way you do,
Ri-Ri." He laughed again. "I wonder if you know how the deuce you _do_
look?"

"Perhaps it is the moonlight, Signor."

"Moonlight--you look as if you were made of it. . . . I could eat you
up, Ri-Ri." His eyes on her red little mouth, on her white, beating
throat. His voice had an odd, husky note.

"Don't be such a little frost, Ri-Ri. Don't you like me at all?"

It was the dream coming true. It was the fairy prince--not the false
figure she had set in the prince's place, but a proud revenge upon him.
This was reality, fulfillment.

She saw herself already married to Johnny, returning proudly with him
to Italy. She saw them driving in a victoria, openly as man and wife--or
no, Johnny would have a wonderful car, all metal and bright color. They
would be magnificently touring, with their luggage strapped on the side,
as she had seen Americans.

She saw them turning into the sombre courtway of the old Palazzo
Santonini and, so surely had she been attuned to the American note, she
could presage Johnny's blunt disparagement. He would be astonished that
they were living upon the third floor--with the lower apartment let. He
would be amused at the servants toiling up the stairs from the kitchens
to the dining hall. He would be entertained at the solitary tub. He
would be disgusted, undoubtedly, at the candles. . . .

But of course Mamma would have everything very beautiful. There would be
no lack of candles. . . . The chandeliers would be sparkling for that
dinner. There would be delicious food, delicate wines, an abundant
gleam of shining plate and crystal and embroidered linens.

And how Lucia would stare, how dear Julietta would smile! She would buy
Julietta the prettiest clothes, the cleverest hats. . . . She would give
dear Mamma gold--something that neither dear Papa nor Francisco knew
about--and to dear Papa and Francisco she would give, too, a little
gold--something that dear Mamma did not know about.

For once Papa could have something for his play that was not a roast
from his kitchen nor clothes from his daughters' backs nor oats from his
horses!

Probably they would be married at once. Johnny was free and rich--and
impatient. She did not suspect him of interest in a