The Title Market | Page 4

as the realization came to her sharply that
she was fading. There were lines and shadows and pallor that ought not
to be in the face of a woman of thirty-five. She smoothed the vertical
lines in her forehead, and then let her hands remain over her face, while
behind their cool smoothness her mind resumed its troublesome
thoughts.
It was not like meeting some new difficulty for which the strength is
fresh; it was struggling again with emotions that have repeatedly
exhausted one's endurance. Just as she had every hope that her husband
was cured of the gambler's fever, here he was down again with an even
more dangerous form of it. The man who knowingly risks is bad
enough; but the man who cannot see that he risks, and cannot
understand how he has lost is the hardest victim to cure. All of her
capital was gone except a small property which her brother-in-law, J. B.
Randolph, held for her in trust and on the income of which they now
lived. Ten years before she had had considerable money, enough for
them to live not only in comfort but in luxury. A large amount had been
sunk in a Sicilian sulphur mine, and to this investment she had given
her consent, not yet realizing her husband's lack of judgment. But aside
from this, cards and horse races and trips to Monaco had limited their
living in luxury to a periodic pleasure of three or four months. Now in
order to open the palace in Rome, they had to practise the most rigid
economics the other eight or nine months in their villa in the country.

Yet in spite of all, her compassion went out to Sandro. He was so gay,
so boy-like, that he acquired ascendancy over her sympathies in spite of
her judgment. And by the time her maid had coiled her great golden
waves of hair and helped her into a short, heavy skirt, a pair of stout
boots, a plain shirt-waist, and a rough, short coat and cap, her feeling of
resentment against him had passed. She drew on a pair of dogskin
gloves, and went out.
In the stables she found the prince helping to harness a pony.
"Are you going to drive to the village?" she asked as cheerfully as
though there had been no topic of distress.
"Yes; will you come with me?" he returned eagerly. She nodded her
assent and as they started down the road they talked easily of various
things. It was the prince who finally came back to the topic that was
uppermost in their minds. He looked at her tenderly as he said:
"You do believe, my darling, don't you, that to have brought this
additional trouble to you breaks my heart? I have taken everything from
you--given you nothing in return. Yet--I do love you."
"Oh, va bene, va bene, caro mio; we will talk no more about it. Do you
really agree to stay in the country all winter and give up Rome?"
"Of course," he said, with the best grace in the world. "It is all far too
easy for me--but for you!--Ah, Leonora, no admiration, no new interest!
no amusement! a year of your beauty wasted on only me."
"Be still; you know very well that I care nothing for all that. It is always
this horrible fear of your leaping before you look. Sandro, Sandro! can
you really see that one more plunge--and we are done? Now we can
give up our savings, and the jewels; another time--don't let there ever
be another time!"
He looked up the road and down; there was not even a peasant in sight.
He put his arm about her and drew her to him. "Look at me, Leonora!
On the name of my family and on that which I hold most sacred in the

world I swear it: you will never again have to suffer from such a
cause."
She inclined toward his kiss, and love dominated the sadness in her
eyes. Who could be angry with him--impulsive, affectionate,
warm-hearted child of the Sun, or Italy--since both are the same.
A turn in the road, around a high wall topped with orange trees,
brought them into the little town and the village life. A couple of
ragged urchins sitting before the door of one of the cave-like structures
that are called dwellings, grinned as the princess looked at them. An
older girl bobbed a courtesy and pulled one of the children to her feet,
bidding her do the same. The men uncovered their heads, as the noble
padrones passed.
Before one house the little trap stopped. Immediately the door opened
and a woman came out. She was young and handsome though the
shadow of maternity was blue-stenciled under