She was proud of being loved by him, and as he walked by her side, she looked up at the blue sky above the courtyard, and was glad that the clouds had passed away, for it must be sweeter to be loved when there was sunshine overhead than when it rained; but all the time, she saw his face, without looking at it, and it was after her own heart, and much to her liking.  Besides, he was not only a manly man, and strong, and, of course, brave; he was already famous, and might be great some day; and she knew that he loved her, which was much to his advantage.  As for being madly, wildly, desperately in love with him herself, she was not that yet; it was simply a very delicious sensation of being adored by somebody very sympathetic.  Some women never get nearer to love than that, in all their lives, and are quite satisfied, and as they grow older they realize how much more convenient it is to be adored than to adore, and are careful to keep their likings within very manageable limits, while encouraging the men who love them to behave like lunatics.

Sabina was not of that kind; she was only very young, which, as Pitt pointed out, is a disadvantage but not a real crime.

They walked side by side, almost touching as they moved; they were drawn one to another, as all nature draws together those pairs of helpless atoms that are destined to one end.

Old Sassi went gravely with them.  To him, it was a sad thing to see Sabina come to the palace in a way almost clandestine, as if she had no right there, and he shook his head again and again, silently grieving over the departed glory of the Conti, and wishing that he could express his sympathy to the young girl in dignified yet tender language.  But Sabina was not in need of sympathy just then.  Life in the Volterra establishment had been distinctly more bearable since Malipieri’s appearance on the scene, and her old existence in the palace had been almost as really gloomy as it now seemed to her to have been.  Moreover, she was intensely interested in what Malipieri was going to shew her.

Masin was waiting at the head of the winding stair with lanterns already lighted.  When they had all entered, he turned the key.  Sassi asked why he did this, and as they began to go down Malipieri explained that it was a measure of safety against the old porter’s curiosity.

Sabina stepped carefully on the damp steps, while Malipieri held his lantern very low so that she could see them.

“I am sure-footed,” she said, with a little laugh.

“This is the easiest part,” he answered.  “There are places where you will have to be careful.”

“Then you will help me.”

She thought it would, be pleasant to rest her hand on his arm, where the way was not easy, and she knew instinctively that he hoped she would do so.  They reached the floor of the cellar, and Masin walked in front, lighting the way.  Sassi looked about him; he had been in the cellars two or three times before.