red, with
many obeisances, through the old gate of floreated wrought iron, and
stopping there, about forty yards away, they piped, while a girl, in the
usual _contadina_ dress, clashed her cymbals and danced not ungracefully.
The Father, who either did not like music or did not like it of that
sort, sighed, rose from his seat, and went into the house by an open
French window. The Prince also rose, but he went forward to the group of
Italians, and spoke to them for a few minutes. If he did not like that
sort of music, he took the more excellent way, for the action of his
elbow indicated a movement of his hand towards his waistcoat-pocket. He
returned to the party on the terrace, and the itinerant artists, after
more obeisances, walked slowly back by the way they had come.

'They are Genoese,' said the Prince, 'tramping north to Scotland for the
holiday season.'

'They will meet strong competition from the pipers,' said Logan, while
the Earl rose, and walked rapidly after the musicians.

'I do not like the pipes myself,' Logan went on, 'but when I hear them in
a London street my heart does warm to the skirl and the shabby tartans.'

'I feel with you,' said the Prince, 'when I see the smiling faces of
these poor sons of the South among--well, your English faces are not
usually joyous--if one may venture to be critical.'

He looked up, and, his eyes meeting those of Lady Alice, he had occasion
to learn that every rule has its exceptions. The young people rose and
wandered off on the lawn, while the Earl came back and said that he had
invited the foreigners to refresh themselves.

'I saw Father Riccoboni in the hall, and asked him to speak to them a
little in their own lingo,' he added, 'though he does not appear to be
partial to the music of his native land.'

'He seems to be of the Romansch districts,' Logan said; 'his accent is
almost German.'

'I daresay he will make himself understood,' said the Earl. 'Do you
understand this house, Mr. Logan? It looks very modern, does it not?'

'Early Georgian, surely?' said Logan.

'The shell, at least on this side, is early Georgian--I rather regret it;
but the interior, northward, except for the rooms in front here, is of
the good old times. We have secret stairs--not that there is any secret
about them--and odd cubicles, in the old Border keep, which was re-faced
about 1750; and we have a priest's hole or two, in which Father Riccoboni
might have been safe, but wo