to a centime how much she had spent, though there seemed no limit to
how much she yet intended to spend! He looked back to the time he
had first seen her, when on visiting Sicily apparently as an
American tourist only, she had taken a fancy to a ruined "palazzo"
once an emperor's delight, but crumbling slowly away among its
glorious gardens, and had purchased the whole thing then and there.
Her guide to the ruins at that period had been Don Aloysius, a
learned priest, famous for his archaeological knowledge--and it was
through Don Aloysius that he, the Marchese Rivardi, had obtained the
commission to restore to something of its pristine grace and beauty
the palace of ancient days. And now everything was done, or nearly
done; but much more than the "palazzo" had been undertaken and
completed, for the lady of many millions had commanded an air-ship
to be built for her own personal use and private pleasure with an
aerodrome for its safe keeping and anchorage. This airship was the
crux of the whole business, for the men employed to build it were
confident that it would never fly, and laughed with one another as
they worked to carry out a woman's idea and a woman's design. How
could it fly without an engine?--they very sensibly demanded,--for
engine there was none! However, they were paid punctually and most
royally for their labours; and when, despite their ominous
predictions, the ship was released on her trial trip, manipulated by
Giulio Rivardi, who ascended in her alone, sailing the ship with an
ease and celerity hitherto unprecedented, they were more scared than
enthusiastic. Surely some devil was in it!--for how could the thing
fly without any apparent force to propel it? How was it that its
enormous wings spread out on either side as by self-volition and
moved rhythmically like the wings of a bird in full flight? Every
man who had worked at the design was more or less mystified. They
had, according to plan and instructions received, "plumed" the