before me now. And how was Giovanni able to do them if you weren't
alive? Perhaps you were pre-mortally alive in Heaven? Giovanni's cell,
as is well known, had a window that opened straight into Heaven. Perhaps
he saw you through that window, and painted you without your knowing it.
The name they give your portrait, by-the-by, would rather seem to
confirm that theory. What do you think they call it? They call it an _un
angiolo_. I've got a copy of it in England. When you come to London to
visit the Queen I'll show it to you."

Annunziata gave her flowing curls a toss.

"The form of the young woman which you have seen in the garden--" she
began anew.

"Ah," said John, "observe how differently the big fish and the little
fish will be affected by the same bait."

"When you first spoke of it," said she, "I thought you had seen a holy
apparition."

"Yes," said he. "That was because I couched my communication in language
designedly misleading. I employed the terminology of ghost-lore. I said
'haunted' and 'appear,' and things like that. And you were very properly
and naturally deceived. I confidently expected that you would be. No, it
is not given to world-stained and world-worn old men like me to see holy
apparitions."

"Old men? You are not an old man," said Annunziata.

"Oh? Not? What am I, then?" said John.

"You are a middle-aged man," said she.

"Thank you, Golden Tongue," said he, with a bow.

"And you are sure that it was merely a real person?" she pursued.

"No," said he. "I am too profoundly imbued with the basic principles of
metaphysics ever to be sure of the objective reality of phenomena. I can
only swear to my impression. My impression was and is that it was merely
a real person."

"Then," said Annunziata, with decision, "it must be the person who is
visiting the Signora Brandi."

"The Signora Brandi?" repeated John. "What a nice name! Who is the
Signora Brandi?"

"She is an Austrian," said Annunziata.

"Oh--?" said John.

"She lives in the pavilion beyond the clock-tower," said Annunziata.

"I wasn't aware," said John, "that the pavilion beyond the clock-tower
was inhabited. I wasn't aware that any part of this castle was
inhabited, except the porter's lodge and the part that we inhabit. Why
have I been left till now in this state of outer darkness?"

"The Signora Brandi has been absent," said Annunziata. "She has been in
her own country--in Austria. But the other day she returned. And w