.

"Will you give me your hand," said she, "as far as my table?"

The Prince doubtfully stretched out his hand, and the couple paced in a
stately fashion to Clementina's table.

"What do you see upon my table?" said she, with something of the
Prince's pomposity.

"A picture," said he, reluctantly.

"Whose?"

"The Pretender's," he answered with a sneer.

"The King's," said she, pleasantly. "His picture is fixed there guarding
me. Against my heart there lies a second. I wish your Highness all speed
to Italy."

She dropped his hand, bowed to him again in sign that the interview was
ended. The Prince had a final argument.

"You refuse a dowry of L100,000. I would have you think of that."

"Sir, you think of it for both of us."

The Prince drew himself up to his full stature.

"I have your answer, then?"

"You have, sir. You had it yesterday, and if I remember right the day
before."

"I will stay yet two more days. Madam, you need not fear. I shall not
importune you. I give you those two days for reflection. Unless I hear
from you I shall leave Innspruck--"

"In two days' time?" suddenly exclaimed Clementina.

"On the evening of the 27th," said the Prince.

Clementina laughed softly in a way which he did not understand. She was
altogether in a strange, incomprehensible mood that afternoon, and when
he learnt next day that she had taken to her bed he was not surprised.
Perhaps he was not altogether grieved. It seemed right that she should
be punished for her stubbornness. Punishment might soften her.

But no message came to him during those two days, and on the morning of
the 27th he set out for Italy.

At the second posting stage, which he reached about three of the
afternoon, he crossed a hired carriage on its way to Innspruck. The
carriage left the inn door as the Prince drove up to it. He noticed the
great size of the coachman on the box, he saw also that a man and two
women were seated within the carriage, and that a servant rode on
horseback by the door. The road, however, was a busy one; day and night
travellers passed up and down; the Prince gave only a passing scrutiny
to that carriage rolling down the hill to Innspruck. Besides, he was
acquainted neither with Gaydon, who rode within the carriage, nor with
Wogan, the servant at the door, nor with O'Toole, the fat man on the
box.

At nightfall the Prince came to Nazareth, a lonely village amongst the
mountains with a single tavern, where he