ortly after, when she joined a group of friends a distance farther on,
she was laughing and glancing back as she spoke, in a way that left
little doubt that she was making disparaging remarks.

Sansevero and Giovanni had mounted their hunters, and now joined Nina,
but that gave her little pleasure, for the contessa immediately
returned. Nina was glad when Donna Francesca Dobini and the young Prince
Allegro cantered up. Donna Francesca was soon talking with Sansevero,
leaving Nina to Allegro--an attractive youth, but light as a bit of
fluff.

As for Giovanni, she felt that he was as unstable as the dead leaves
which the wind at that moment was blowing around and around. They were
graceful, too, those leaves, and Giovanni was fascinating, agile,
charming--but in case one counted upon him seriously, where would he be?
Smiling sweetly, no doubt, at some other woman, and telling her that
her eyes were twin lakes of heaven's blue, or forest pools in which his
heart was lost forever.

The contrasting image of John Derby came sharply to mind. John was going
to Sicily to do a man's work in a man's way. A little later she noticed
Tornik, who was cantering ahead of her: his figure was not unlike
John's--he was strong and masculine. She wondered aimlessly if they
might be in any other way alike. Supposing, in some unaccountable
situation she were to be thrown upon his chivalry for protection, what
would he do? Shrug his shoulders and look bored? Or detail a company
from his regiment to stand guard over her? The idea made her laugh.

"You are gay this morning," observed Giovanni, light-heartedly joining
in her laughter.

With a quizzical little expression Nina looked at him--"I wonder if you
would be amused if you knew why I laughed."

[Illustration: "NINA LOOKED AT HIM--'I WONDER IF YOU WOULD BE AMUSED IF
YOU KNEW WHY I LAUGHED'"]

"If it gives you pleasure--it is delicious, whatever it is!"

All the softness went out of the girl's brown eyes; they glittered
curiously. "Yes," she said, "that is just what I thought." After which
ambiguous remark she returned to her former gayety--"Come," she said,
"let's go fast; we shall be the last!" Urging her horse, she galloped
across the fields.

She would have been at a loss to understand her own vacillations of mood
that day: she seemed to feel an unaccountable revulsion against every
one. The gesticulations of the men around her, their airs and
blandishments, annoyed her. Not an