'I am her servant. I would give my life for her, and she knows it,' he said simply, with all his soul lighting up his eager eyes.
Her hand was hanging loosely by her side; he took the little hand in his and looked at it for an instant, and raised it to his lips and kissed it.
'I am her servant, if she will have me,' he said.
Before any one had time to answer there came a loud sharp knock at the outer door.
CHAPTER III.
THE YOUNG MASTER.
The young man who entered—not waiting to have his knock answered, but throwing the door wide open before him with an easy air of good-natured authority—this newcomer, was dressed in the uniform of an officer of the King's Guards. As he came into the low smoke-embrowned room he was at once the brightest object there; the firelight caught and flashed upon all manner of resplendent buttons and knots and gold lacings, and on the shining hilt of his sword. His long, glittering spurs rang sharply against the bare stone floor. 'It is the Prince out of the fairy tale, Italia; the fairy Prince,' said little Palmira reathlessly, and stared with her great brown
eyes, clutching at Italia's hand.
'The Marchese Gasparo! the young master!' old Drea cried out in a loud voice, pulling off his round woollen cap.
They all stood up, even Dino, who strolled away a few steps from the table to the fireplace, where he began fingering a small dusty model of a boat: it had stood in that same place, between two handfuls of shells, as far back as he could remember anything.