asked the question. "Her
last caprice was a young Roman prince, and they are settled there for
the winter." To Rome he resolved to go. He would see for himself whether
she was all that his dreaming fancy had painted her, or whether she was
what men said--a heartless coquette.

He went to Rome, and found her, as usual, queen of all that was most
brilliant and gay.

It was at a soiree given by the Duchessa Sforza. He saw her again,
beautiful, radiant and magnificent. By her side stood a young man, who
was handsome as one of the grand old statutes that ornamented the
galleries of Rome. He watched her, thinking bitterly of the time that
had passed since be looked his last on that radiant face, and all the
bitter shame that had been his portion since then.

He crossed the room and went over to her. Whatever dismay she may have
felt, she showed none. She looked up with a bright, cold smile, as
though they had parted but yesterday.

"Mr. Carruthers!" she said. "I hope you are well. I really believe that
half of England is coming to Rome."

"Can you wonder," said the prince, "when England's fairest queen is
here?"

Lady Amelie introduced the two gentlemen, and after a time the prince
went away. Then she turned her lovely face to the young man she had
duped so cleverly.

"How do you like Rome?" she asked,

"I cannot talk commonplace to you, Lady Lisle," he said; "I have come
from England purposely to see you,"

She looked slightly impatient.

"Ah," she replied. "Of course I am very much obliged to you; but you
must have been terribly imprudent. Could you not have managed without
being discovered in that suspicious attitude? I was so grievously
distressed. You are too quixotic--you seek needless dangers."

That was the extent of her gratitude to the man who had saved her
reputation, character, and fair fame.

"I did not compromise you," he said. "I preferred imprisonment to that."

"Yes; but it was quixotic; there was no need for anything of the kind."

"I am very sorry to have erred from excess of zeal," he replied,
sarcastically. "It is a comfort to me to think that I shall not so
offend again."

"I hope," she said, more anxiously, "that it will not injure you--that
no one will know about it. It was really too shocking. Prison for a
young man of your position! It was absurd."

"I thought so myself, before I came out; it was absurd; but you will be
comforted to know, Lady Amelie, that no one seems to have kn