a Mirasole, and plunging into the gray-green gloom he came suddenly
upon the cure and two little acolytes, the boys robed in white and
scarlet. Their figures moving under the arbour of old trees were like
red and silver poppies blown by the wind, or wonderful tropical birds
astray in the woods: and a glint of sunshine striking the censer was a
thin chain of gold linking it to the sky.

To meet this little procession astonished Vanno, but the cure turned to
smile at him without surprise. "Well met!" he said. "We are on our way
to bless the villa. Last night after you went I received a letter from
the Princess asking us to come this morning, as they are now quite
settled. So here we are, these children and I. And I hoped that you
would be lunching with your brother and sister-in-law, for it is a
pretty ceremony, the blessing. You will tell them to-day--what has
happened?"

The cure slackened his pace, for a talk with his Prince, and the
acolytes walked ahead, two brilliant little figures, whose robes sent
out faint whiffs of incense-perfume.

"Yes. I've come early on purpose to tell," said Vanno. "But the first
business is the blessing of the house. That will put them in a good
mood. I hope you are going to lunch with us afterward?"

"Yes. The Princess has been so kind as to ask me, and I will stay. If
you like, I can say good things of Mademoiselle, your charming fiancee."

"That is what I was thinking!" Vanno admitted. "Do you know, Father,
I've been incredibly stupid. You will hardly believe it when I tell
you--but I have not yet found out her Christian name."

"_Tiens!_" exclaimed the cure. "You did not ask? But, my Principino, it
is impossible. What did you call her?"

"If you must know, I called her 'Angel,' and 'Darling,' and perhaps a
few other things like that. Any other name seemed quite unimportant at
the time: but after I'd left her this morning at Mrs. Winter's (where
she is going to visit, thank heaven!) it flashed into my mind that I'd
never heard her name. It begins with 'M,' that's all I know. I couldn't
very well rush back, ring the door bell, and inquire. I must find out
somehow now without asking, as it's too absurd, when we've been engaged
since yesterday afternoon."

Talking, they came near the edge of the olive wood, where a narrow lane
divided the olives from a sea of pines. The white main road in the
distance was empty, and silent with the digestive silence of Riviera
thoroughfares at noo