really shocked to hear of Miss
Pickett's trouble.

"And what a loss to you, too!" she said. "I can't conceive of anything
more odious than having a hireling for a companion. Of course you will
have a companion...?"

"Of course!" said Sophy.

Then her ladyship explained how she came to be in Venice. Her brother,
Colonel Bollingham, and his wife had persuaded her to join them at a
moment's notice.

Sophy felt that now Susan was gone, she ought to ask her mother-in-law
to stop with her. She did so. Lady Wychcote said thanks--but that it
would hurt poor dear Mildred's feelings to be _plante_ like that.

"However," she added, "if you're going to be here longer than a week, I
might take advantage of your offer. James and Mildred are going to
Bordighera next week ... and I detest Bordighera...."

Sophy replied, with a hesitation in her heart which she did not think
apparent in her voice but which Lady Wychcote discerned there, that she
had intended stopping for at least three weeks longer--but now that Sue
had gone she thought of returning to Breene in a few days.

"If you would stay with me, though," she ended, "then I shouldn't feel
that I had to hurry off."

"Thanks," said Lady Wychcote. "I'll let you know later."

She left a few minutes afterwards. Amaldi left with her. He disliked her
as much as Susan did, and felt that he must be very careful not to give
her a wrong impression of his relations with Sophy.

Later, when Sophy came to reflect, she felt as apprehensive about her
mother-in-law's sudden appearance in Venice as even Susan could have
wished. She knew that unlike so many of her compatriots, Lady Wychcote
did not care a fig about Italy. On the contrary, she was in the habit of
extolling France as a far more delightful place in every way.

During the following week Sophy was very careful not to see Amaldi
often, and went about a good deal with Lady Wychcote. Barti had not
turned up yet.

The days passed in this rather dreary fashion, until the time had come
for the Bollinghams to leave. They were to set off Tuesday and on
Tuesday afternoon Lady Wychcote was to come to the Rio San Vio to stop
with Sophy until they both returned to England.

On Sunday Barti arrived in Venice. He was a short, rotund man of about
sixty, with a grizzled black beard, and the grey-blue eyes under black
lashes that one sees so often in clever Lombards. He loved the
"_ragazzi_ Amaldi," as he called them, as if they had been