With a heart sick with terror and uncertainty she went to the brilliant crowds of the Trasimene house; to the talk that was so frivolous and tedious, to the dances she never joined in, to the homage she was so tired of, to the monotonies and personalities and trivialities that make up society.
M. de St. Louis hurried up to her:
"Madame, quelle chance!—our new Herakles has slain his Dragon. Maremma has just had telegrams from Palermo. Della Rocca has positively captured the scoundrel Pibro, and taken him into the city, much wounded, but alive, and in the king's gaol by this time. A fine thing to have done, is it not? Of course we shall all praise it, since it has succeeded; although, in truth, a madder exploit never was attempted. Paolo was ten days in the mountains living on a few beans and berries: he has received no hurt whatever; I should think they will give him the Grand Cordon of the Santissima Annunziata. It is really a superb thing to have done. The monster has been the terror of that district for ten years. Palermo went utterly mad with joy. It
