g him
all sorts of questions, and listening earnestly to what he said, until
he realized that she was certainly not assuming an appearance of
admiration for the sake of flattering him.

Meanwhile Francesca talked with Griggs, and Dalrymple, having gone
slowly round the hall alone after all the others, came and stood beside
the two and watched Francesca, occasionally offering a rather dry remark
in a somewhat absent-minded way. It was all rather commonplace and
decidedly quiet, and he was not much amused, though from time to time he
seemed to become absorbed in studying Francesca's face, as though he saw
something there which was past his comprehension. She noticed that he
watched her, and felt a little uncomfortable under his steely blue eyes,
so that she turned her head and talked more with Griggs than with him.
Remembering what Reanda had told her of the young man's origin, she did
not like to ask him the common questions about residence in Rome and his
liking for Italy. She was self-possessed and ready enough at
conversation, and she chose to talk of general subjects. They talked in
Italian, of course. Dalrymple, as of old, spoke fluently, but with a
strange accent. Any one would have taken Paul Griggs for a Roman. At
last, almost in spite of herself, she made a remark about his speech.

"I was born here," answered Griggs. "It is much more remarkable that
Miss Dalrymple should speak Italian as she does, having been born in
Scotland."

"Are you talking about me?" asked the young girl, turning her head
quickly, though she was standing with Reanda at some distance from the
others.

"I was speaking of your accent in Italian," said Griggs.

"Is there anything wrong about it?" asked Gloria, with an anxiety that
seemed exaggerated.

"On the contrary," answered Donna Francesca, "Mr. Griggs was telling me
how perfectly you speak. But I had noticed it."

"Oh! I thought Mr. Griggs was finding fault," answered Gloria, turning
to Reanda again.

Dalrymple looked at his daughter as though he were annoyed. The eyes of
Francesca and Griggs met for a moment. All three were aware that they
resented the young girl's quick question as one which they themselves
would not have asked in her place, had they accidentally heard their
names mentioned in a distant conversation. But Francesca instantly went
on with the subject.

"To us Italians," she said, "it seems incredible that any one should
speak our language and English equally