cheek in greeting. She looked very imposing in her straight robe of
embroidered white muslin.

Sophy was charmed with the outer view of Le Vigne. Its mellow, white
walls, so severely simple, and the fluted edge of its red-tiled roof
gave her a relieved pleasure after her own orange-brown "chalet." The
entrance hall was big and plain, with mosaic under foot, and great beams
overhead, painted in between like the wings of night-moths.

They lunched on the western terrace under a pergola of star-jessamine.
Sophy felt strangely and rather unquietly happy--as if something were
going to happen. And she was very hungry. It was such fun to eat from a
plate dappled with little sun-flecks. Every one had silvery reflections
from the white tablecloth playing over their faces. It made Amaldi look
pale and strange somehow.

Sophy thought that after luncheon she would be taken to see the farm and
gardens, but the Marchesa said that she must not go out into the sun
directly after eating. Instead, they went into the big, cool Salotto,
and the Marchesa taught her a game of double patience. While they were
doing this, Amaldi strolled in with his pipe. It seemed odd to Sophy to
see him with a pipe. It didn't suit him somehow.

The Marchesa sent Amaldi off to order the pony-carriage. She was going
to drive Sophy over the Tenuta herself. As he went, she called after
him:

"Is your study _in ordine_? I want to show Mrs. Chesney the view from
the Tower before we start."

"I'll send Peder up to report," said Amaldi.

His "study" was in the top of the square tower. It was lined with books
and maps, and pierced by four windows. A heavy _quattro cento_ table
covered with papers ran across one side, and on the other was a grand
piano. Sophy's eyes went from this to the papers on the table, many of
which were manuscript music.

"I didn't know that the Marchese composed music," she said, "though I've
heard of course what a wonderful musician he is."

"Marco is even greater as a composer than as a musician," replied his
mother, pride in her voice. "The world will hear of him some day. But
he's such a student of other things also, that it rather hampers him, I
think. Young as he is, he's already one of the authorities on the
history of the Risorgimento--and no one in Italy knows more than he
about our architecture and art. He has predicted a rising of Iconoclasts
within a few years--haters of beauty--so he's preparing for them, in his
own way