The Title Market | Page 7

out
into the river whose widening water was making actual the separation
between herself and all that till then had been her life.

It was only for a little while, she had thought at the time. She would go
back once a year or so, surely; and Nina should come over often. But in
the intervening fifteen years, though the Randolphs had been in Europe
many times, they had always chosen midsummer for their trip, and the
princess had joined her sister at some northern city or watering-place.
This visit, therefore, was to be Nina's first glimpse of her aunt's home,
and the princess was determined that she should not spend the time
desolately in the country! She might come here for a little while--for
reasons that the princess would have found hard to explain to herself,
she did not want Nina to get a false impression. Yet for nothing would
she have exposed her husband's failing--even to her own family. With
the weakness of a true wife, she never dreamed that all her world
suspected, if it did not actually know, of the great inroads on her
fortune that his gambling had made.
The princess went back to her accounts, but no amount of auditing
made the sum they had saved any larger. A large pearl pendant that had
been the Randolphs' wedding present to her, and a ruby that had been
her mother's, were her only remaining possessions that could bring
anything like the sum needed; with them and perhaps notes on her next
year's income, they might make up the full amount. But how to sell the
jewels was the problem. There is little demand for really fine stones in
Italy, and besides, they might be recognized. Long before, she had sold
her emerald earrings and had false ones put in their places. She had
hated wearing the imitations, but she had worn the real ones constantly,
she feared their sudden absence might be noticed.
Indeed, as it was, one day out in the garden, when Scorpa was sitting
near her, she thought she saw a knowing gleam in his eyes. Afterwards
she tried to assure herself that it was a trick of her own consciousness;
but she had not worn the earrings again in the daytime--nor ever if she
knew that Scorpa was to be present.
She threw down her pencil. The first thing at all events was to find out
how much she could realize on her stones, and to do that she would
have to go to Paris. Taking a railroad gazette out of a drawer, she
looked up trains. Eight-thirty mornings, arriving at---- The door burst

open. The prince, exuberant, his face wreathed in smiles, skipped,
rather than walked, into the room. In pure joyousness he pinched her
cheek.
"What do you think, my dear one? It is all arranged. We can have _la
bella_ Nina; we shall go to Rome as usual. And you, you more than
generous, shall not sell any jewels!"
His wife did not at once echo his gladness; in fact she seemed
frightened.
"What has happened? You have not made a wager and won?"
He looked reproachful, almost sulky. "Leonora, unjust you are. Have I
not promised? But I will tell you. I have arranged it all with Scorpa. I
have let him have the Raphael--as security, practically--that is, I have
sold it to him for a hundred thousand lire--a loan merely--and he has
given me the privilege of buying it back at any time, with added
interest, of course. There will be no need of paying for years. He is
enchanted, as he has always wanted the picture, and says he only hopes
I may never wish to take it back."
"No, don't let us do that," the princess broke in, then hesitated, "I can't
tell you how I feel about it, but--I don't trust Scorpa. It is a hard thing to
say, but I have always believed he persuaded you into buying the 'Little
Devil' mine, knowing it could not be worked. Of course, dear, that
heavy loss may not have been his fault, but I'd so much rather never
have any dealings with him. Besides, the very thing I wish to avoid is
letting people know we must get money."
"But, cara mia, listen: It is all so well thought out, no one will know.
You see, we go to Rome; this picture hangs in an empty house, which
through the winter is very damp, and bad, therefore, for the painting.
Scorpa keeps his house open and heated; he takes care of it on that
account. Is that not a wonderful reason?"
"Whose reason was that?"

"Scorpa's own!" He danced a few steps in his excess of delight.
His wife arose and put her hand on his arm.