She slipped her arm through Lady Kingswood's and hurried her away. Don Aloysius was puzzled by her words,--and, as Rivardi came up to him raised his eyebrows interrogatively. The Marchese answered the unspoken query by an impatient shrug.
"Altro! She is impossible!" he said irritably--"Wild as the wind!--uncontrollable! She will kill herself!--but she does not care!"
"What has she done?" asked Aloysius, smiling a little--"Has she invented something new?--a parachute in which to fall gracefully like a falling star?"
"Nothing of the kind"--retorted Rivardi; vexed beyond all reason at the priest's tranquil air of good-humored tolerance--"But she insists on steering the air-ship herself! She took my place to-day."
"Well?"
"Well! You think that nothing? I tell you it is very serious--very foolhardy. She knows nothing of aerial navigation--"
"Was her steering faulty?"
Rivardi hesitated.
"No,--it was wonderful"--he admitted, reluctantly; "Especially for a first attempt. And now she declares she will travel with the 'White Eagle' alone! Alone! Think of it! That little creature alone in the air with a huge air-ship under her sole control! The very idea is madness!"
"Have patience, Giulio!" said Don Aloysius, gently--"I think she cannot mean what she says in this particular instance. She is naturally full of triumph at the success of her invention,--an amazing invention you must own!--and her triumph makes her bold. But be quite easy in your mind!--she will not travel alone!"
"She will--she will!" declared Rivardi, passionately--"She will do anything she has a mind to do! As well try to stop the wind as stop her! She has some scheme in her brain,--so fantastic vision of that Brazen City you spoke of the other day--"
Don Aloysius gave a sudden start.
"No!--not possible!" he said--"She will not pursue a phantasm,--a dream!"
He spoke nervously, and his face paled. Rivardi looked at him curiously.
"There is no such place then?" he asked--"It is only a legend?"
"Only a legend!" replied Aloysius, slowly--"Some travellers say it is a mirage of the desert,--others tell stories of having heard the bells in the brazen towers ring,--but no one--NO ONE," and he repeated the words with emphasis--"has ever been able to reach even the traditional environs of the place. Our hostess," and he smiled--"is a very wonderful little person, but even she will hardly be able to discover the undiscoverable!"