e
kept going through her mind: "It never rains but it pours." She could
not get away from the idea that other painful things were going to
happen. Besides, she loved Sue dearly, and missed her, and would miss
her more and more. The thought of a paid "companion" filled her with
distaste. Yet she couldn't now stay on in Venice for some weeks, as she
had meant to, with only Bobby and Rosa. Harold Grey had been ill with
influenza and would not join them until October; and all the more when
he came would she need some woman to play propriety.

Intolerant and careless of the world's opinion as she was too apt to be,
she felt that it would not do for her to remain all alone in Venice with
Amaldi as her only acquaintance there. But then she felt that she _must_
stay till Barti came. She couldn't leave Marco anxious and harassed with
doubt, for during the last few days she had come to the conclusion that
he was far more anxious about the divorce than he would admit to her.

.... Rain was falling. With slim, grey-white rods it beat the surface of
the water. She could see it rushing like a host with lances down the
Grand Canal, past the palace of Don Carlos. Her heart grew heavier and
heavier.

Amaldi, who had insisted on accompanying Susan to Genoa, returned two
days later. Something preoccupied and sad in his manner struck Sophy.

"What is it?" she urged. "You are troubled. Tell me."

He confessed at last that he was a little worried at Barti's delay. He
feared that there might be some serious doubt about the final issue of
the question.

"Barti's a good soul," he ended. "Almost too soft-hearted.... I can't
help feeling that he's rather shirked telling me things, perhaps ...
that he's still shirking. I can't explain this delay on his part, in any
other way...."

He broke off and they looked at each other rather blankly. And it was as
they were silently looking at each other in that sorrowful, baffled
fashion that Rosa ushered in Lady Wychcote.

As Sophy went forward to greet her, the old adage again began its
thrumming in her mind: "_It never rains but it pours.... It never rains
but it pours_...."

L

Had Susan been present, she would have felt very apprehensive at the
pleasant, matter-of-fact way in which her ladyship greeted Amaldi. But
Sophy was simple-minded enough to be greatly relieved by it. She
explained about Susan--that Amaldi had just returned from seeing her off
for America. Lady Wychcote seemed