The end of the matter was that Derby agreed to take up the Sansevero mine, commonly known as the “Little Devil”; to be worked on a “royalty” basis.  Derby, representing his company, was to pay all expenses, take all responsibility, and to return to Sansevero a percentage of the market price on every ton of sulphur taken out of it.

Furthermore, Sansevero insisted upon giving him a letter to the Archbishop of Vencata, who lived about eight hours on muleback from the mining settlement.  The Sicilians, he declared, were a dangerous people for strangers who tried to interfere in their established order of things.

“So then I am likely to have adventures!  It sounds exciting!” The American laughed light-heartedly at the sport of it.  However, he accepted the letter to the archbishop.

CHAPTER XVI

A MENACE

Derby did not realize until afterward that the entire conversation at the Palazzo Sansevero had been about his projects, and that, aside from a few generalities, he really knew nothing of Nina’s winter or of her Italian experiences.  He returned to his hotel at about five o’clock, and was striding directly toward the smoking-room without glancing to right or left among the attractive groups that characterize the tea hour at the Excelsior, when he was arrested by some one’s calling, “Why, John Derby!”

In the crowd of persons and tables he looked blankly for a familiar face, but, as his name was repeated, he recognized Mrs. Bobby Davis and her sister, Mildred Hoyt.  As soon as Derby reached their table, Mrs. Davis glibly rattled off the names of the four or five men who comprised their party.  They were all Europeans, who, in regular afternoon attire—­frock coats, and flower in buttonhole—­were sipping tea and eating cake.  Derby was in tweeds, and afternoon tea was by no means part of his daily program.

However, he made the best of it, and also of the remarks that followed, for he was sooner seated than Mrs. Davis turned all her powers of sprightly conversation upon the subject of Nina.  Half of the nobility of Italy, she averred, were sighing—­or busily doing sums—­at the feet of the American heiress.  There was a particularly fascinating Sansevero—­he was not called Sansevero, but di Valdo (curious custom of having half a dozen names for one person!), who, it was rumored, was simply mad about Nina!  People said she was going to marry him—­either him or Duke something.  And there were crowds of others.  That was one of her suitors now—­she pointed out Tornik, who was taking tea with a group from the Austrian Embassy.  He was most attractive, didn’t John think so?  In Nina’s place, she would have her head turned!

This idea seemed to be a new one to Derby.  “Should you?” The question was asked so reflectively that Mrs. Davis almost stopped to think; but the habit of prattling carried her on.

“To have men like that sighing for one—­I should call it thrilling, to say the least.”