And she held out her hand.

A sigh was the only answer Orso could find.  Colomba came to his side, led him into a window, and spoke to him for a moment in an undertone, showing him something she held under her mezzaro.

“Mademoiselle,” said Orso to Miss Nevil, “my sister is anxious to give you a very odd present, but we Corsicans have not much to offer—­except our affection—­which time never wipes out.  My sister tells me you have looked with some curiosity at this dagger.  It is an ancient possession in our family.  It probably hung, once upon a time, at the belt of one of those corporals, to whom I owe the honour of your acquaintance.  Colomba thinks it so precious that she has asked my leave to give it to you, and I hardly know if I ought to grant it, for I am afraid you’ll laugh at us!”

“The dagger is beautiful,” said Miss Lydia.  “But it is a family weapon, I can not accept it!”

“It’s not my father’s dagger,” exclaimed Colomba eagerly; “it was given to one of mother’s ancestors by King Theodore.  If the signorina will accept it, she will give us great pleasure.”

“Come, Miss Lydia,” said Orso, “don’t scorn a king’s dagger!”

To a collector, relics of King Theodore are infinitely more precious than those of the most powerful of monarchs.  The temptation was a strong one, and already Miss Lydia could see the effect the weapon would produce laid out on a lacquered table in her room at St. James’s Place.

“But,” said she, taking the dagger with the hesitating air of one who longs to accept, and casting one of her most delightful smiles on Colomba, “dear Signorina Colomba . . .  I can not . . .  I should not dare to let you depart thus, unarmed.”

“My brother is with me,” said Colomba proudly, “and we have the good gun your father has given us.  Orso, have you put a bullet in it?”

Miss Nevil kept the dagger, and to avert the danger consequent on giving instruments that cut or pierce to a friend, Colomba insisted on receiving a soldo in payment.

A start had to be made at last.  Yet once again Orso pressed Miss Nevil’s hand, Colomba kissed her, and then held up her rosy lips to the colonel, who was enchanted with this Corsican politeness.  From the window of the drawing-room Miss Lydia watched the brother and sister mount their horses.  Colomba’s eyes shone with a malignant joy which she had never remarked in them before.  The sight of this tall strong creature, with her fanatical ideas of savage honour, pride written on her forehead, and curled in a sardonic smile upon her lips, carrying off the young man with his weapons, as though on some death-dealing errand, recalled Orso’s fears to her, and she fancied she beheld his evil genius dragging him to his ruin.  Orso, who was already in the saddle, raised his head and caught sight of her.  Either because he had guessed her thought, or desired to send her a last farewell, he took the Egyptian ring,