siting the works in the day and spending hours in the evening
over the plans. He was waiting. He believed that Corona cared for him,
and he knew that he loved her, but for the present he must wait
patiently, both for the sake of his promise and for the sake of a decent
respect of her widowhood. In order to wait he felt the necessity of
constant occupation, and to that end he had set himself resolutely to
work with his father, whose ideal dream was to make Saracinesea the most
complete and prosperous community in that part of the mountains.

"I think if you would go over," he said, at the end of a week, "it would
be much better. I do not want to intrude myself upon her at present, and
you could easily find out whether she would like to see me. After all,
she may have been merely making an excursion for her amusement, and
may have chanced upon us by accident. I have often noticed how suddenly
one comes in view of the castle from that bridle-path."

"On the other hand," returned the Prince with a smile, "any one would
tell her that the path leads nowhere except to Saracinesca. But I will go
to-morrow," he added. "I will set your mind at rest in twenty-four
hours."

"Thank you," said Giovanni.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Old Saracinesca kept his word, and on the following morning, eight days
after Corona's excursion upon the hills, he rode down to Astrardente,
reaching the palace at about mid-day. He sent in his card, and stood
waiting beneath the great gate, beating the dust from his boots with his
heavy whip. His face looked darker than ever, from constant exposure to
the sun, and his close-cropped hair and short square beard had turned
even whiter than before in the last six months, but his strong form was
erect, and his step firm and elastic. He was a remarkable old man; many a
boy of twenty might have envied his strength and energetic vitality.

Corona was at her mid-day breakfast with Sister Gabrielle, when the old
Prince's card was brought. She started at the sight of the name; and
though upon the bit of pasteboard she read plainly enough, "_Il Principe
di Saracinesca_," she hesitated, and asked the butler if it was really
the Prince. He said it was.

"Would you mind seeing him?" she asked of Sister Gabrielle. "He is an old
gentleman," she added, in explanation--"a near neighbour here in the
mountains."

Sister Gabrielle had no objection. She even remarked that it would do the
Duchessa good to see some one.

"