h bathed the
mountain sides, and made their peaks seem to rise from a transparent
sea.

We could not tear ourselves away until sunset; and by the time we had
dressed for dinner, the rising moon had traced a path of silver from
shore to shore, across the pansy-purple water, where the lights of
Cadennabia were sending golden ladders down to the bottom of the lake.

I supposed that we would dine indoors, but the arbour where we had
breakfasted was illuminated with coloured lanterns, which gleamed like
rubies and emeralds and topazes among the dark tree branches, and the
trails of roses and wistaria. "This is part of my surprise," said the
Prince. "I have arranged this in honour of your birthday, dear Countess.
No, don't thank me. Is it not my greatest pleasure to think of you?"

Perhaps it was because I was in a mood to be pleased with everything,
but it did seem as if I had never tasted such a dinner as that was. We
had every delicacy in and out of season, a fruit salad which is a
specialty of the house, made of strawberries, fresh figs, cherries,
pineapples, and almonds; and when I thought that all the surprise was
over, along the terrace came a procession of green, blue and
rose-coloured lights, as if fairies were flitting among the trees. But
the fairies turned out to be waiters, bringing illuminated ices in
fantastic shapes, and a birthday cake for me lighted with twenty-nine
tiny wax candles.

All had been thought of by the Prince; and if there had been any doubt
in my mind before, I now saw that he really loved me for myself alone.
When everybody had wished me good wishes, blowing out the candles as
they wished, we left the table to stroll about in the moonlight, and the
Prince and I got separated from the others. "Ah, but this isn't all," he
broke in, when I was trying to tell him how much I appreciated what he
had done. "The best, I hope, is to come, if you will trust yourself to
me for a little while."

I was ready to do so for any length of time, and when he had sent to the
house for my wrap, and was leading me down a sloping path which I hadn't
seen before, my curiosity bubbled like a tea-kettle beginning to boil.

"We are going to the little harbour on the Lecco side," he explained,
"and there--you shall see what you shall see."

"Are you planning to run away with me?" I asked, laughing. "Perhaps,"
said he, "and as fast as if we were in my automobile, though we shall
travel by water."

I couldn't thi