"Victor Emmanuel is willing enough to reap
the harvest watered with our blood," replied
Miss Colonna, impetuously, "but he will not
offer us even a hearty ' God-speed' at present.
No, Mr. Trefalden, ours is an army of
volunteers and patriots only—an army of young,
brave, and generous hearts that love Italy and
liberty, and are ready to die for what they
love i"

Beautiful as she was at all times, Saxon had
never seen Olimpia Colonna look so beautiful as
when she spoke these words. He almost lost
the sense of what she said, in his admiration
of how she looked while saying it. He
stammered something unintelligible, and she went
on.

"Garibaldi has sailed for Palermo with an
advanced guard. Volunteers are pouring into
Genoa from Venice and Milan. Subscriptions
are being raised on all hands—in England, in
France, in Belgium, in America. A month
hence, and South Italy will be free, or doubly
chained. In the mean while we need help; and
for that help we look to every lover of liberty.
You are a lover of liberty—you are a citizen
of a model republic. What will you do for
us?"

"Tell me what to do, and I will do it," said
Saxon.

"Nay; I might ask too much."

"You cannot ask more than I will gladly
grant."

Olimpia turned her dazzling smile upon him.

"Beware!" said she. "I may take you at
your word. This cause, remember, is more to
me than life; and the men who enlist in it are
my brothers."

Alas! for Saxon's invulnerability, and his
cousin's repeated cautions! Alas! for his
promises, his good resolves, and his government
stock! He was so far gone, that he would
have shouldered a musket and stepped into
the ranks at that moment, to please Miss
Colonna.

"These men," she continued, " want
everything that goes to make a soldier—save
valour. They are content to accept privation;
but they can neither live without food, nor
fight without arms, nor cross from shore to
shore without means of transport. So take
heed, Mr. Trefalden, how you offer more than
you are prepared to give. I might say—do
you love liberty well enough to supply some
thousands of brave men with bread, ships,
and muskets; and then, what would be your
answer?"

Saxon drew a blank cheque from his purse,
and laid it on the parapet against which she was
leaning. He would have knelt down and laid it
at her feet in open day, but that he had sense
enough left to .feel how supremely ludicrous the
performance would be.

"There is my answer," he said.

Miss Colonna's heart gave a great leap of
triumph, and the colour flashed up into her face.
She took a tiny pencil-case from her watch-chain
—a mere toy of gold and jewels—and hastily
pencilled some figures in the corner of the
cheque.

"Will you do this for Italy?" she said, in a
breathless whisper.

"I will double it for you!" replied Saxon,
passionately.

"For me, Mr. Trefalden?"

Saxon was dumb. He feared he had offended
her. He trembled at his temerity, and did not
dare to lift his eyes to her face.

Finding he made no answer, she spoke again,
in a soft, tremulous tone, that would have
turned the head of St. Kevan himself.

"Why for me? What am I, that you should
do more for me than you would do for my
country?"

"I—I would do anything for you," faltered
Saxon.

"Are you sure of that?"

"As sure as that I . ..."

The young man checked himself. He would
have said, "as that I love you," but he
lacked courage to pronounce the words. Miss
Colonna knew it, however, as well as if he had
said it.

"Would you jump into the sea for me, like
Schiller's diver?" she asked, with a sudden
change of mood, and a laugh like a peal of
silver bells.

"That I would!"

"Or in among the fighting lions, like the
Count de Lorge?"

"I know nothing about the Count de Lorge;
but I would do for you all that a brave man
dare do for a lady," replied Saxon, boldly.

"Thanks," she said, and her smile became
graver as she spoke. " I think you mean what
you say."

"I do. Indeed I do!"

"I believe it. Some day, perhaps, I shall
put you to the proof."

With this, she gave him her hand, and he—
scarcely knowing what he did, but feeling that
he would cheerfully march up to a battery, or
jump out of a balloon, or lie down in the path
of an express train for her sake—kissed it.

And then he was so overwhelmed by the
knowledge of what he had done, that he scarcely
noticed how gently Miss Colonna withdrew her
hand from his, and turned away.

He watched her across the terrace. She did
not look back. She went thoughtfully forward,
thoughtfully and slowly, with her hands clasped
loosely together, and her head a little bent;
but her bearing was not that of a person
in anger. When she had passed into the
house, Saxon drew a deep breath, and stood for
a moment irresolute. Presently he swung
himself lightly over the parapet, and plunged into
the park.

His head was in a whirl; and he wandered
about for the first half-hour or so, in a tumult
of rapturous wonder and exultation—and then
he suddenly remembered that he had broken his
promise to William Trefalden.

In the mean while, Olimpia went up to her