she came near, showing a small eager white face in which the eyes
glittered with an almost unearthly brightness.

"I have slept till now,"--she said--"Imagine!--all night through
without waking! So lazy of me!--but the long rest has done me good
and I'm ready for anything! Are you? You look very solemn and
morose!--like a warrior in bronze! Anything gone wrong?"

"Not that I am aware of"--he replied--"The men are finishing some
small detail of ornament. I have only looked in to tell them you are
coming."

"And are they pleased?"

"Madama, they are not of a class to be either pleased or
displeased"--he said--"They are instructed to perform certain work,
and they perform it. In all that they have been doing for you,
according to your orders, I truly think they are more curious than
interested."

A streak of rose and silver flared through the sky flushing the
pallor of Morgana's face as she lifted it towards him, smiling.

"Quite natural!" she said--"No man is ever 'interested' in woman's
work, but he is always 'curious.' Woman is a many-cornered maze--and
man is always peeping round one corner or another in the hope to
discover her--but he never does!"

Rivardi gave an almost imperceptible shrug.