pause.

"Yes, almost," he began hotly, but his tone softened as he finished the
sentence,--"almost in spite of yourself, Hermione."

"Indeed, I begin to think that you will," she answered, turning away her
head to hide a smile that had in it more of happiness than of unbelief.
Some one entered the room where they were standing, and nothing more was
said; nor did Paul repeat his words at the next opportunity, for he was
not much given to repetition. When he had said a thing, he meant it, and
he was in no hurry to say it again.

Meanwhile, also, the young girl had more than once listened, during the
night, for any sounds which might proceed from Madame Patoff's bedroom;
but she had heard nothing more, and the impression gradually faded from
her mind, or was stored away there as a fact to be remembered at some
future time. When Professor Cutter arrived, she determined to tell him
in strictest confidence what had occurred. This, however, was not what
gave her so much satisfaction in meeting him. She had long looked
forward to the day when she could enjoy the triumph of seeing him meet
Alexander Patoff, alive and well; for she knew how strongly his
suspicions had fastened upon Paul, and it was he who had first told her
what the common story was.

The professor arrived in the early morning by the Brindisi boat, and
Hermione proposed that Chrysophrasia, Paul, Cutter, and herself should
make a party to go over to Stamboul on the same afternoon. It was warm
indeed, but she represented that as the whole family were to move up the
Bosphorus on the following day, it would be long before they would have
a chance of going to Stamboul again. Chrysophrasia moaned a little, but
at last accepted the proposition, and Paul and the professor expressed
themselves delighted with the idea.

The four set off together, descended by the Galata tunnel, and crossed
the bridge on foot. Then they took a carriage and drove to Santa Sophia.
There was little chance for conversation, as they rattled over the
stones towards the mosque. Chrysophrasia leaned wearily back in her
corner. Paul and Hermione tried to talk, and failed, and Professor
Cutter promenaded his regards, to borrow an appropriate French
expression, upon the buildings, the people, and the view. Perhaps he was
wondering whether more cases of insanity presented themselves amongst
the vegetable sellers as a class than amongst the public scribes, whose
booths swarm before the Turkish post