She was not the only witness of the ceremony to take that road that day.

For some three hours later, to be precise, at half-past two, Maria

Vittoria stepped into her coach before the Pilgrim Inn. Wogan held the

carriage door open for her. He was still in the bravery of his wedding

clothes, and Maria Vittoria looked him over whimsically from the top of

his peruke to his shoe-buckles.

"I came to see a fool-woman," said she, "and I saw a fool-man. Well,

well!" and she suddenly lowered her voice to a passionate whisper. "Why,

oh, why did you not take your fortunes in your hands at Peri?"

Wogan leaned forward to her. "Do you know so much?"

She answered him quickly. "I will never forgive you. Yes, I know." She

forced her lips into a smile. "I suppose you are content. You have your

black horse."

"You know of the horse, too," said Wogan, colouring to the edge of his

peruke. "You know I have no further use for it."

"Say that again, and I will beg it of you."

"Nay, it is yours, then. I will send him after you to Rome."

"Will you?" said Maria Vittoria. "Why, then, I accept. There's my

hand;" and she thrust it through the window to him. "If ever you come to

Rome, the Caprara Palace stands where it did at your last visit. I do

not say you will be welcome. No, I do not forgive you, but you may come.

Having your horse, I could hardly bar the door against you. So you may

come."

Wogan raised her hand to his lips.

"Aye," said she, with a touch of bitterness, "kiss my hand. You have had

your way. Here are two people crossmated, and two others not mated at

all. You have made four people entirely unhappy, and a kiss on the glove

sets all right."

"Nay, not four," protested Wogan.

"Your manners," she continued remorselessly, ticking off the names upon

her fingers, "will hinder you from telling me to my face the King is

happy. And the Princess?"

"She was born to be a queen," replied Wogan, stubbornly. "Happiness,

mademoiselle! It does not come by the striving after it. That's the

royal road to miss it. You may build up your house of happiness with all

your care through years, and you will find you have only built it up to

draw down the blinds and hang out the hatchment above the door, for the

tenant to inhabit it is dead."




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