e Marchesa had persuaded Sophy to stop for tea and now she made her
accept the loan of a warm cloak. It could be very chilly on the Lake at
this hour, she said, even in midsummer. Carletto had put in the launch a
basket of delicate golden plums called "_nespole del Giappone_" which
cannot be exported. The Marchesa came with them to the darsena. The
_Fretta_ lay quaint as an orchid in the shadow, all red cushions and
glowing fruit, with the Italian flag at her stern, and the pennon of the
Amaldi at her prow.

"Where is Peder?" asked the Marchesa rather sharply, as Amaldi got in
and held out his hand to assist Sophy. He looked up at his mother.

"I promised Peder last week that he should go to see his people at
Belgirate this afternoon," he said composedly. "I lent him the dinghey
after luncheon. But I am an excellent _meccanico_. Mrs. Chesney need not
feel nervous."

What was there to say? The Marchesa at least could think of nothing.

She stood in silence, while Marco pushed off with one of the oars kept
in the launch in case of the engine's failing.

Sophy looked up, smiling. She waved her hand, kissed it to the Marchesa
as the _Fretta_ slowly glided out of the darsena into the open lake.

"Thanks! A thousand thanks!" she called back, her voice sounding
strangely clear and sweet over the water. "I shall never forget my first
day at Le Vigne."

"What absurdly innocent eyes she has," thought the Marchesa irritably.
"A married woman has no business having such innocent eyes as all that!"

But she waved her hand in reply, and called, "_Buon Viaggio!_"

Then she went back to the terrace, and sat watching the _Fretta_ as long
as it was in sight. The soft afterglow engulfed it at last. They were
there, in the lovely twilight alone together--those two--who of all the
world should be farthest apart. The Marchesa felt very angry with Marco,
with herself, with poor Sophy, with Fate. She did not know which she was
most angry with---- Yes, perhaps with Marco....

XXXIV

The _Fretta_ rushed straight towards the sunset, like some little
water-creature magnetised by light. On either side of the wheel,
opposite each other, Sophy and Amaldi sat gazing at the gorgeous,
cloud-suffused sky. They had both thrown aside their hats. His face had
a new, boyish look with his hair blown back by the wind. It was still so
warm in the mellow glow from the sunset, that he had also taken off his
coat. Sophy liked his slight figure