know that I love Aunt Eleanor better than
almost any one in the world. If to help you is to help her--and it is in
my power--I really think you ought to tell me."

He weakened, hesitated. "Give me your promise you will not tell
Leonora----?"

"You have it!" She put her hand back into his.

"It is this, then: I am the weakest man imaginable. To-night I had no
idea of playing; I held out for some time, but the temptation was too
strong at the end. Also what I lost was very little, but the money was a
sum we had put aside to pay household expenses. If I do not pay them,
Leonora must know of it."

Between the lines Nina divined a good deal of the whole story. Other
vague suspicions that had come to her here and there helped somewhat to
the conclusion.

Already they had driven into the courtyard and the footman was holding
open the door. Nina jumped out quickly and entered the palace. In the
antechamber she stopped for her uncle to catch up with her. "Just wait a
moment," she said; "we can finish our conversation quickly." She spoke
rapidly and in English.

"How much is it?"

"Five hundred _lire_."

She caught her breath. "Do you mean to say that _you_--the Prince
Sansevero, the owner of this palace, are in need of a hundred dollars,
and don't know where to get it? You shall have it to-morrow, the first
thing."

Then suddenly she added: "Uncle Sandro--I want you to tell me something!
Will you swear on your honor to answer the truth? If you deceive me, I
will never forgive you to my dying day!"

He looked at her, puzzled. There was no doubt as to the gravity of her
tone. "I will answer if I can." He said it not without alarm.

"Does your brother gamble? Is he also like Tornik and you?" She had no
thought for the stigma of her words, and Sansevero was not so small that
he resented them.

"No. I can answer that easily enough. Giovanni has not one drop of the
gambling blood. That I can swear to you by the name of my mother!" He
made the sign of the cross.

Nina sighed with relief. "I'll send Celeste to you with the money in the
morning, and you can trust me--I will never let Aunt Eleanor know!" She
said it sympathetically and kindly enough, but her tone was a little
constrained. "Good-night!"

And then quickly she left him. She felt sure that her uncle had spoken
the truth, and that Giovanni was not a gambler; but as she went down the
long corridors she felt a sharp contraction in her throat.
"Dear--poor--pr