e was a man of ample means, and took no little
pride in the pretty home which he was enabled to provide for his
family. My mother was a beautiful woman, somewhat above him socially,
although I never knew her to refer to the fact, and I was their only
child.

"Like many other fond parents who have but one upon whom to expend
their love and money, they thought I must be carefully reared and
educated--nothing was considered too good for me, and I had every
advantage which they could bestow. I was happy--I led an ideal life
until I was seventeen years of age. When carnival time came around,
we all went in to Rome to join in the festivities, and there I met my
fate, in the form of Emil Correlli."

"Ah! but I thought that he was a Frenchman!" interposed Edith, in
surprise.

"His father was a Frenchman, but his mother was born and reared in
Italy, where, in Rome, he studied under the great sculptor, Powers,"
her guest explained. Then she resumed: "We met just as we were both
entering the church of St. Peter's. He accidently jostled me; then, as
he turned to apologize, our eyes met, and from that moment my fate was
sealed. I cannot tell you all that followed, dear lady, it would take
too long; but, during the next three months it seemed to me as if I
were living in Paradise. Before half that time had passed, Emil had
confessed his love for me, and made an excuse to see me almost every
day. But my parents did not approve; they objected to his attentions;
his mother, they learned by some means, belonged to a noble family,
and 'lords and counts should not mate with peasants,' they said."

"Then I made the fatal mistake of disobeying them and meeting my lover
in secret. Ah, lady," she here interposed with a bitter sigh, "the
rest is but the old story of man's deception and a maiden's blind
confidence in him; and when, all too late, I discovered my error,
there seemed but one thing for me to do, and that was to flee with him
to America, whither he was coming to pursue his profession in a great
city."

"And--did he not offer to--to marry you before you came?" queried
Edith, aghast.

"No; he pretended that he dared not--he was so well-known in Rome that
the secret would be sure to be discovered, he said, and then my father
would separate us forever; but he promised that when we arrived in New
York, he would make everything all right; therefore, I, still blindly
trusting him, let him lead me whither he would.

"I was very ill