d interesting. The music was
good, as it always is in Italy, and the beer had the true German flavor,
Muenchener. Handsome uniforms brightened the scene; and there was
flirting and laughter, in which Merrihew found opportunity to join.

"If Kitty should see you!"

"Well, what if she did? When I'm married to her it will be mutually
understood that so long as I do not speak to them I may look at pretty
women."

"You seem very sure of marrying her."

"It's only a matter of time. The man who hangs on wins finally."
Merrihew had lost none of his confidence.

"I see; they marry you to get rid of you," said Hillard. "Yes, the man
who hangs on finally wins, in love or war or fortune. But I haven't
anything to hang on to."

"Who knows?" said Merrihew, wagging his head.

From the _Halle_ they went down-stairs to the billiard-room. The pockets
in the table bothered Merrihew; he did not care particularly for the
English game; and the American table was occupied by a quartet of young
Americans who were drinking champagne like Pittsburg millionaires. The
ventilation was so bad that the two friends were forced to give up the
game. Under the arcade they found a small table. It was cool and
delightful here, and there was a second boot of Munich beer.

Officers passed to and fro, in pairs or with women. Presently two
officers, one in the resplendent uniform of a colonel, went past.
Merrihew touched Hillard with his foot excitedly. Hillard nodded, but
his pulse was tuned to a quicker stroke.

"I hope he doesn't see us," he said, tipping his panama over his eyes.

Merrihew curled the ends of his juvenile mustache and scowled fiercely.

"This is his post evidently," he said. "What a smacking uniform! He must
have had a long furlough, to be wandering over Europe and America. If I
get a chance I'm going to ask a waiter who he is."

"So long as he doesn't observe us," said Hillard, "I have no interest in
his affairs." Had he none? he wondered. "A lady? Grace of Mary, that is
droll!" The muscles in his jaws hardened.

"But you twisted his cuffs for him that night in Monte Carlo. Monte
Carlo!" reminiscently. "Eighteen hundred dollars, my boy, and a good
fourteen still in my inside pocket. Wasn't I lucky? But I'll never
forgive Kitty for running away from us. That's got to be explained fully
some day."

"He is coming this way again, Dan," Hillard observed quietly.

"Ah!"

They waited. Hillard changed his mind; he pushed back h