ad prevented her from taking.

But to Amaldi's intense amazement, Belinda's mother seemed quite unaware
of anything unusual. It was on the third day after her arrival that a
most extraordinary scene took place. The afternoon was misty. Tea was
served indoors instead of on the lawn. As usual Belinda and Loring came
in from a long ride together.

Belinda still kept up an intermittent coquetry with Amaldi, though he
did not meet her with the complaisance of those first days. Italians
particularly object to being used as cat's-paws, even by a pretty woman.
And in this instance Amaldi's natural aversion from serving such a
purpose was increased by his resentment on behalf of Sophy.

Belinda was very wroth with Morris this afternoon. He had chosen to tell
her, just now, with the brutality of self-defense driven to its limits,
that Sophy's "little finger was worth a shipload of her" (Belinda). She
determined to punish him. She dropped into a low chair near Amaldi, and
leaned forward, chin in hand, her lambent, impish eyes on his.

"_Come sta_, Amaldi?" she said. "I haven't seen you for a month of
Sundays. You're really much better looking than I remembered."

"Accept my humble gratitude," replied Amaldi with ironic exaggeration.

She blinked her eyes slowly, pondering this remark. She thought his
dryness the result of her neglect of him for the past week. Poor dear!
He was jealous of Morry. Well, now Morry should be jealous of him.

"What's on that ring?" she asked suddenly. "I hate men to wear rings as
a rule--but that dark blue is ripping on your hand. I suppose you know
you've got dandy hands?"

"You overwhelm me," said Amaldi as before.

"Not much I don't! I know your jeering way.... But I think you'd be
rather interesting to overwhelm all the same ... to really overwhelm, I
mean."

"But I assure you that is my state at present."

"Pooh!" said Belinda, laughing. She drew her chair a little closer.
"Come, you haven't told me what's on your ring."

"My _stemma_--the coat-of-arms of my family."

He did not offer to show her the ring. She bent nearer, gazing at it.

"What's the motto?" she asked, her face close to his hand.

"'_Che prendo--tengo_,'" said Amaldi.

"And what does it mean?"'

"'What I take--I keep.'"

"I believe you!" she exclaimed boldly. She flashed her eyes to his. "You
look as if you'd know how to keep what you chose to take. You've got
such a very 'Don't-monkey-with-the-buzz-saw' air abo