"Certainly not," she answered, rather coldly. "It would be asking too
much of you--too much of society, and far too much of me. Thanks.
Good-bye."

"May I come and see you?" asked Orsino.

He knew very well that he had gone too far, and his voice was correctly
contrite.

"I daresay we shall meet somewhere," she answered, entering the hotel.




CHAPTER IV.


The rage of speculation was at its height in Rome. Thousands, perhaps
hundreds of thousands of persons were embarked in enterprises which soon
afterwards ended in total ruin to themselves and in very serious injury
to many of the strongest financial bodies in the country. Yet it is a
fact worth recording that the general principle upon which affairs were
conducted was an honest one. The land was a fact, the buildings put up
were facts, and there was actually a certain amount of capital, of
genuine ready money, in use. The whole matter can be explained in a few
words.

The population of Rome had increased considerably since the Italian
occupation, and house-room was needed for the newcomers. Secondly, the