by her artistic effusions. Besides she has a great
deal of vanity, but stupid vanity. She has asked me if I couldn't manage
to acquire a high-sounding, decorative title in Spain.

"If Susanna knew that in my heart I keep up her friendship only through
inertia, because I have no plans, and that her millions and her beauty
leave me cold, she would be dumfounded; I believe that perhaps she
would admire me.

"At present we devote ourselves to walking, talking, and telling each
other our impressions. Any one would say that we intentionally play a
game of being contrary; whatsoever she finds wonderful seems worthy
of contempt to me, and vice-versa. It is strange that such absolute
disagreement can exist. This Sunday afternoon we have been taking a
long walk, half sentimental, half archeological.

"I went to get her at her hotel; she came down, looking very smart, with
an unmarried friend, also an American and also very chic.

"The three of us walked toward the Forum. We passed under the arch of
Constantine. A small beggar-boy preceded us, getting ahead and turning
hand-springs. I gave him some pennies. Susanna laughed. This woman, who
pays bills of thousands of pesetas to her milliner, doesn't like to give
a copper to a ragamuffin.

"We turned off a bit from the avenue and went up on the right, toward
the Palatine. Among the ruins some women were pulling up plants and
putting them into sacks. At the end of the road, on the slope, there
were Stations of the Cross, and some boys from a school were playing,
guarded by priests with white rabbits.

"It was impossible to go further, and we went down the hill toward the
Piazza di San Gregorio. On the open place in front of the church that is
in this square, some vagabonds were stretched out on the ground; an old
man with a long hoary beard and a pipe with a chain, two dark youths
with shocks of black hair, and a red-headed woman with silver hoops in
her ears and a baby in her arms.

"The two young boys threw me a glance of hatred, and stared at Susanna
and her friend with extraordinary avidity.

"What very false ideas must have been going through their minds! I might
have approached them and said politely:

"'Do not imagine that these ladies are of different stuff from this red
woman who has the baby in her arms. They are all the same. There is no
more difference than what is caused by a little soap and some money.'

"'Let us go in and see the church,' said Susanna.

"'