not!" said Nina. Quite at bay, she longed wildly for some means
of escape. To her relief, two Americans whom she knew, young Mrs. Davis
and her sister, entered the shop. Nina rose abruptly, apologizing to the
duchess, and ran to them. How long had they been in Rome? Where were
they stopping? What was the news from New York? They told her all they
could think of. The Tony Stuarts had a son--they thought it the only
baby that had ever been born; and as for old Mr. Stuart, he was nearly
insane with joy. Billy Rivers had lost every cent of his money; and
then--but, of course, Nina had heard about John Derby.

In her fear that some accident had happened to him, Nina's heart seemed
to miss two beats. But Mrs. Davis merely meant his success in mining. By
the way, she had seen him in New York, as she was driving to the
steamer. He was striding up Fifth Avenue, and was "too good-looking for
words."

The princess was leaving the shop and, as Nina followed her into the
carriage, her mind was full of Derby. It was very strange--she had had a
letter the day before from Arizona, in which John had said nothing about
going to New York. Then she remembered that her father had hinted at a
possibility that John might be sent to Italy later in the winter. Her
pulse quickened at the thought, but with no consciousness of sentiment
deepened or changed by absence.

Arrived at the palace, she found a note from Zoya Olisco, who was coming
to spend the next day with her. Nina handed the note to the princess. "I
thought we could go out in the car and lunch somewhere. Or is it not
allowed?" Her eyes twinkled as she questioned.

"That depends," the princess answered in the same spirit, "upon whether
you are counting upon including me. I am a very disagreeable tyrant when
it comes to being left out of a party."

The automobile in question was Nina's. She had wanted one, and with her
"to want" meant "to get." Nearly every one thought it belonged to the
princess, as it would not have occurred to many in Rome to suppose it
was owned by a young girl.

That night another extravagance of Nina's came to light. In the morning
they had been at an exhibition of furs brought to Rome by a Russian
dealer. Among them was a set of superb sables, and Nina, throwing the
collar around her aunt's shoulders, had exclaimed at their becomingness.

The princess unconsciously stroked the furs as she put them down. "I
have never seen anything more lovely," she said w