ut how am I to believe?"

She grew impatient of his unbelief. Yet as he pressed her hand, the
power he had over her increased with every second.

"But I will, I will!" she cried, in a low voice. "And still you doubt--I
see it in your eyes. Have I not promised? What more can I do?"

"I do not know," he answered. "But you must make me believe you." The
strength of his eyes seemed to be forcing something from her.

"I say it--I promise it--I swear it! Do I not love you? Am I not giving
my soul for you? Have I not given it already? What more can I do or
say?"

"I do not know," he answered a second time, holding her with his eyes.
"I must believe you before I go."

He spoke honestly and earnestly, not meaning to exasperate her,
searching in her look for what was unmistakably in his own. His hands
shook, not weakly, as they held hers. His piercing eyes seemed to see
through and through her. She trembled all over, and the colour rose to
her face, more in despair of convincing him than in a blush of shame.

"Believe me!" she said, imperiously, and her eyelids contracted with the
effort of her will.

But he said nothing. She felt that he was immeasurably stronger than
she. But just then, he was not more desperate. There was a short,
intense silence. Her face grew pale and was set with the fatal look she
sometimes had.

"I pledge you with my blood!" she said suddenly.

Her eyes did not waver from his, but she wrenched her right hand from
him, and before he could take it again, her even teeth had met in the
flesh. The bright scarlet drops rose high and broke, and trickled in
vivid stripes across her hand as she held it before his face. Her own
was very white, but without a trace of pain. Something in the fierce
action appealed strongly to the fiery Celtic nature of the man. His
features relaxed instantly.

"I believe you," he said, and she knew it as his arms went round her;
and the pain of the wound made his kisses sweeter.

CHAPTER XI.

WHEN Dalrymple left Maria on that day, he returned as usual to
Stefanone's house. Sora Nanna was alone, for Stefanone was still absent
in Rome, and Annetta had gone on the previous day with a number of women
to the fair at Civitella San Sisto, which took place on Sunday. She was
expected to return on Monday afternoon. It is usual enough for a party
of women, with two or three men, to go to the fairs in neighbouring
towns and to spend the night with the friends of some one