The Children of the King

to see you again," ob

an Miniato cam

bearing the separation with admira

ne has to bear so

ed suddenly with an expression of startled satisfaction, and she returned the pressure of the fingers with more energy than San Miniato had suspected. She was evidently very much pleased. Perhaps the greatest satisfaction of all was the certainty that she was to have no more trouble i

have sat so long upon that rock that you have almost reconciled me to Tragar

nd then at San Miniato and turned away w

n beside me on that chair, and tell me what has happened, tho

e result is favourable. I

you at once?" asked the Marchesa, af

e loved me. It only remains for me to claim the materna

hraseology which he always used on important occasions when speaking to her, a

indeed, I am most curious to know exactly what she said,

told her I loved her and sh

you to say those two words! You

d than that. I will not deny the grave

uld you-" The Marchesa raised he

on of my past must shock a young girl-whom I love?" In the last words he found an opportunity to practise the expr

he Marchesa. "But we all know so

nothing bu

most accept them. I should think none t

y heart? I only told her that I had been unhappy, that I had loved twice-once a woman who is dead, once another who has long ago forgotten me. That was all. Was it so very bad? H

slowly selecting a sugared chestnut from the plate beside her, tu

said much more-far more than I can remember. How can you ask me to repeat word for word the unpremeditated outpourings

age of the heart. Pray give me one of those little cigarettes you smoke. Ye

rice's," answered San Mini

trice first, sin

would be no Beatrice,

, when he had e

aking love to my daughter, beyond my hearing, alone on the rocks-and I gave you my permission, and now you are engaged to be

ranmichele throwing himself upon his knees a

that those days are over

actory, if I had undertaken to persuade Beatrice. She is headstrong and capricious,

caprice," answered the

er charm lies in h

at am I?" asked the Mar

f motion-you are th

elightful

nes and taking little notice of the direction of her walk. She only knew that she would not go back to the place where she had s

eyes. Her instinct told her easily enough that San Miniato was at that very moment telling her mother all that had taken place, and she bitterly resented the thought. It would surely have been enough, if he had waited until the following day and then formally asked her hand of the Marchesa. It would have bee

remembered every word San Miniato had spoken, far better than he would remember it himself in a day or two, and she was ready to analyse and criticise now what had charmed and pleased her a moment earlier. Why was he going over it all to her mother, like a lesson learnt and repeated? She was so glad to be alone-she would have been so glad to think alone of what she had taken for the most delicious moment of her young life. If he were really in earnest, he would feel as she did and would have said at once that it was late and time to be going home-he would have invented any excuse to escape

ithout disgust. Everybody, her mother said, was married by arrangement, some for one advantage, some for the sake of another. After all, San Miniato was better than most of the rest. There was a certain superiority about him which she would like to see in her husband, a certain simple elegance, a certain outward dignity, which pleased her. But when her mother had spoken in her languid way of the marriage, Beatrice had resented the denial of her free will, and had answered that she would please herself or not mar

lood rose in her cheeks at the thought and she stamped her foot upon the rock out

ine where his sailor's cap crossed his forehead. Wild and angry emotions chased each other from his heart to his brain and back again, firing his overwro

r she had seen him with his back turne

answered in a hoarse v

She often talked with the men in the boat, and Rugg

ency," he an

her to be fi

Excell

thought. She stood still a couple of paces from him and looked at the sea. She felt a capricious desire to make the big sailor talk and tell he

gan, and then she s

Excell

rritated her. She tried to frame a question

hom you love so dearly-is she good and b

voice shook, not as it seemed to he

me her

d his head was bent forward. He seemed t

t last, in a low, firm tone as th

did not want to tell me. But you must not be afraid of me, Ruggiero. If there is anyt

not m

is it,

nd a mi

suffered and yet indescribably happy in speaking with her, and in seeing the interest she

e two things which I cannot get for you. You must pray to the saints fo

ver love me.

ld? Such miracles have been done by men themsel

shaking. He thought she was speaking of what ha

may happen-but they are

tervention of the powers of evil in her own case. Had she not been suddenly moved to

u pray for, Ruggiero?"

into some one e

would she

his teeth, folded his arms over his throbbing breast, and plante

u, Ruggiero," said Beat

ndness-it is better tha

, too? She should be-

and to his mouth almost before the words were uttered. Beatrice did not s

ating his words. "I do not und

d desperate. It was possible that the girl he loved might be a Capriote, and that he might have met her and talked with her while the dinner was going on. He might

is she? Ruggiero, what is the matter? Have you done h

t y

ed breathing as he reeled unsteadily against the rock behind him. She was a rarely cour

one, Ruggiero?"

rave-almost grand, she thought afterwards, for she remembered long

e nothing-b

id Beatrice, still dreading some ho

is

he

-Ah, C

r, then tenderly touched the loose sleeves she wore

a common sailor-out of the heart of an ignorant fellow who could neither read nor write, nor speak his own language, a churl, a peasant's son, a labourer-but a man, at least. That was it-a strong, honest, fearless man. That was why it all moved her so-that was why it was not an insult that this low-born fellow should

always pray that you may love some one who wi

em of her white frock with two fingers and then pressed them silently to his lips. Who knows from what far age that outward act of submiss

figure. She meant to go, too, but she lingered a while, knowing that if ever she came back to Tragara, this would be the spot wher

ger at having been so deceived. There was no doubt now. The contrast had been too great, too wide, too evident. It was the

heaven or any happiness on earth. But she would not marry San Miniato, now, for she had given no promise. If she had done so, she would not have broken it-in that, at least, she was like other girls of her age and class.

ot, and she knew it must be San Miniato. Unwilling to be alone with him even for a minute, she sprang lightly f

id, trying to take advantage of the thirty or

her," she answered in a hard voice

, Beatrice?" asked San Minia

me Beatrice?" Her ton

I might be

are

ers similar to it in his experience, and he understood well enough that a sensitive young girl might feel ashamed of having shown too much feeling, or might have taken offence at some detail in his conduct which had entirely escaped his own notice. Young and vivacious women are peculiarly subject

way the end of her cigarette, "you have c

, ma

at something had annoyed her, and she at once determined that no reference should be made to the great business of the moment, and that it would be best to end the evening in general conversation, leaving San Miniato no further opport

her bright eyes had suddenly grown tired and heavy. She sat down beside her mother and shaded

l excursion; we have had an excellent dinner, and I am not at all tired. I a

laughed n

, "but I wish there had been twice as many-it was so

you are to me, my ange

her normal good temper. On the whole, a very good understanding existed between the two, of such a nature that it would have been hard to destroy it. For it was impossible to quarrel with the Marchesa, for the simple reason that she never attempted to oppose her daughter, and rarely tried to oppo

ot inclined to depreciate it in her own estimation. Just then she would rather have been l

," she answered; "you let me have my o

ssima! You take it. Bu

ves you trouble,"

hort space of time the boat was ready, the Marchesa was lifted in her chair and carried to it, and all the party were aboard. The second boat, with its crew, was left to bri

put forth all his strength and summoned all his courage in the great effort to be silent, and had failed. But that mattered little. He had got a hundred, a thousand times more kindness than he would have dared to hope for, if he had ever dared to think of saying what he had really said. He had been forced to what he had done, as a strong man is forced struggling against odds to the brink of a precipice, and he had found not death, but a strange new strength to live. He had not found Heaven, but he had touch

San Miniato to him as the boat clea

Beatrice, with a little

so t

her? Ruggiero thought not, any more than he would ever be weary

utiful," said

e an impatient movement that b

o," said San M

. A minute later the sails filled and the boat sped out over the sm