“By the way, princess,” he said, “I have something I meant to show you this morning, but the other matter put it out of my mind.”  He drew a paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.  She opened it, the prince looking over her shoulder.  It was a sheet of foolscap covered with fine writing and many figures in groups and in columns.

“But what does it mean?” she asked.

“It is our first balance sheet at the mines.  These are the tons of ore taken out,” he answered, pointing to various totals, “this is the present market price paid for the first shipment, and this is the amount we are turning out now per day.  At the same rate, the year’s payment, at a conservative estimate, will be that amount.  At all events I shall send you a check the first of August for fifty thousand lire.”

“Fifty thousand lire!  Oh, Sandro!” The instinct of the woman showed, in that her husband was her first thought; and her voice vibrated joyously.  “Fifty thousand lire!” they both repeated as though unable to comprehend—­and then, the full meaning of it dawning upon him, the prince threw his arms about her in wild exuberance.

“Oh, my dear one!”—­he punctuated each phrase with kisses—­“now you shall have everything . . . everything . . . your heart can wish!  Stoves you shall have . . . servants and dresses. . . .  Yes, and your emeralds!  And your pearls!  You shall have . . . emeralds set in a footstool!  Every soldo is for you, carissima, it is all yours, YOURS!”

Gently she stopped him.  “Sandro,” she smiled, “Sandro mio, not the mines of the Indies could supply your plans for spending!” Then her voice broke, but she laughed through her tears and buried her face against his throat.

After a moment the princess recovered herself.  She looked up, blushing like a girl—­a little self-conscious that any one should have witnessed the scene between herself and her husband.  “We are very foolish,” she laughed.  “But it is good to feel so joyous as that!” She got up and, as she passed Nina, she put her hand caressingly under the girl’s chin.  “It has not been a bad day, after all, has it?” she said.  “And when fortune begins to come, it always comes in waves—­the difficulty is to make it begin.”  Then she looked back at her husband, “Sandro, come with me, will you?  These children will not mind, I am sure, if we leave them for a little while, and I want very much to talk to you.”  She smiled her apology to Nina and Derby, who both stood up.  Then she and the prince went out of the door together, his arm about her waist.

When they had gone, Nina said softly:  “They are dears, aren’t they!  Oh, Jack, aren’t you proud to think you are the cause of every bit of the gladness they are feeling to-day?” She glanced up at him, her eyes alight with a brilliant softness and tenderness.  But he did not look at her, and so answered merely her words:  “I guess it would have worked out all right, anyway.”  And then he seemed to study the pattern of the carpet, and there was silence.