road through the pretty villages of Ardenza and Antignano, out
into that wild open country that lies between Leghorn and the wide
deadly marshes of the fever-stricken Maremma. The road we were
travelling was the old road to Rome, for two hundred miles along it--a
desolate, dreary, and uninhabited way--lay the Eternal City. Over that
self-same road on the top of the brown rocks the conquering Roman
legions marched to Gaul, and war-chariots once ran where now sped
motor-cars. Out there in those great solitudes through which we were
passing nothing has changed since the days of Nero and of the Caesars.

Twenty-five miles into the country we ran, and then pulled up to smoke
and chat. She was fond of a cigarette, and joined me, laughing merrily
at the manner in which we were so completely deceiving the gay world of
Leghorn. The local papers that morning had announced that Her Highness
the Princess Helen of Dornbach-Laxenburg, one of the most beautiful
women in Europe, had "descended" at the Palace Hotel, and had been seen
at Pancaldi's later in the afternoon.

"As soon as I came down this morning I was pounced upon for
information," I explained. "A young Italian marquis, who has hitherto
snubbed me, begged that I would tell him something concerning Her
Highness. He is deeply smitten with your beauty, that's very evident," I
laughed.

"My beauty! You are really incorrigible, M'sieur Ewart," she answered
reprovingly, as she blew the tobacco-smoke from her lips. "And what,
pray, is the name of this admirer?"

"The Marquis of Rapallo--the usual hard-up but well-dressed elegant, you
know. He wears two fresh suits of white linen a day, with socks to match
his ties. Last night he sat at the table next to us, and couldn't keep
his eyes off you--a rather short fellow, with a little black moustache
turned upwards."

"Ah yes, I recollect," she replied, and then I thought that her
countenance changed. "And so he's been inquiring about me? Well, let's
run back to _dejeuner_--or _collazione_, as they call it here in Italy,
I believe."

An hour later we drew up again at the hotel, and Her Highness
disappeared within. Then, after I had taken the car to the garage in the
rear, and entered the hotel myself, I quickly became surrounded by
people who wanted introductions to my charming acquaintance, and to whom
I romanced about her wealth, her position, and her home surroundings.

On the following day, Valentine allowed me to introduce