voice,--"But who will convince her of that? She is satisfied with
her beautiful surroundings,--all the work I have designed for her
has pleased her,--she has found no fault--"

"And she has paid you loyally!" interpolated Aloysius--"Do not
forget that! She has made your fortune. And no doubt she expects you
to stop at that and go no further in an attempt to possess herself
as well as her millions!"

The Marchese flushed hotly under the quiet gaze of the priest's
steady dark eyes.

"It is a great temptation," went on Aloysius, gently--"But you must
resist it, my son! I know what it would mean to you--the restoration
of your grand old home--that home which received a Roman Emperor in
the long ago days of history and which presents now to your eyes so
desolate a picture with its crumbling walls and decaying gardens
beautiful in their wild desolation!--yes, I know all this!--I know
how you would like to rehabilitate the ancient family and make the
venerable genealogical tree sprout forth into fresh leaves and
branches by marriage with this strange little creature whose vast
wealth sets her apart in such loneliness,--but I doubt the wisdom or
the honour of such a course--I also doubt whether she would make a
fitting wife for you or for any man!"

The Marchese raised his eyebrows expressively with the slightest
shrug of his shoulders.

"You may doubt that of every modern woman!" he said--"Few are really
'fitting' for marriage nowadays. They want something different--