test it."

"The word is strong; let it be my care to try and induce you to recall
it."

"It will be lost time, my Lord. I always hated the place, and the
people, too."

"You were pleased with Rome, I think?"

"And that possibly was the reason we left it. I mean," said she,
blushing with shame at the rudeness that had escaped her, "I mean that
one is always torn away from the place they are content to live in. It
is the inevitable destiny."

"Very pleasant claret that for hotel wine," said Lord Culduff, passing
the bottle to Temple. "The small race of travellers who frequent the
Continent now rarely call for the better wines, and the consequence is
that Margaux and Marcobrunner get that time to mature in the cellars
which was denied to them in former times."

A complete silence now ensued. At last Lord Culduff said, "Shall we
have coffee?" and offering his arm with the same courteous gallantry
as before, he led Lady Culduff into the drawing-room, bowing as he
relinquished her hand, as though he stood in presence of a queen. "I
know you are very tolerant," said he, with a bewitching smile, "and as
we shall have no visitors this evening, may I ask the favor of being
permitted a cigarette--only one?"

"As many as you like. I am going to my room, my Lord." And ere he
could hasten to open the door, she swept haughtily out of the room and
disappeared.

"We must try and make Naples pleasant for my Lady," said Lord Culduff,
as he drew his chair to the fire; but there was, somehow, a malicious
twinkle in his eye, and a peculiar curl of the lip, as he spoke, that
scarcely vouched for the loyalty of his words; and that Temple heard him
with distrust seemed evident by his silence. "You 'd better go over to
the Legation and say we have arrived. If Blagden asks when he may call,
tell him at two tomorrow. Let them send over all the correspondence; and
I think we shall want some one out of the chancellerie. Whom have they
got? Throw your eye over the list."

Opening a small volume bound in red morocco, Temple read out, "Minister
and envoy, Sir Geoffrey Blagden, K.C.B.; first secretary, Mr. Tottenham;
second secretaries, Ralph Howard, the Hon. Edward Eccles, and W.
Thornton; third secretary, George Hilliard; attache, Christopher
Stepney."

"I only know one of these men; indeed, I can scarcely say I know him. I
knew his father, or his grandfather, perhaps. At all events, take some
one who writes a full hand, with the letters