y lifted the cat off his knee. "I came early," he said,
"in the hope that you will give me some tea before we start. There will
probably be a frightful crush, and Grassini won't give us any sensible
supper--they never do in those fashionable houses."

"Come now!" she said, laughing; "that's as bad as Galli! Poor Grassini
has quite enough sins of his own to answer for without having his wife's
imperfect housekeeping visited upon his head. As for the tea, it will be
ready in a minute. Katie has been making some Devonshire cakes specially
for you."

"Katie is a good soul, isn't she, Pasht? By the way, so are you to have
put on that pretty dress. I was afraid you would forget."

"I promised you I would wear it, though it is rather warm for a hot
evening like this."

"It will be much cooler up at Fiesole; and nothing else ever suits you
so well as white cashmere. I have brought you some flowers to wear with
it."

"Oh, those lovely cluster roses; I am so fond of them! But they had much
better go into water. I hate to wear flowers."

"Now that's one of your superstitious fancies."

"No, it isn't; only I think they must get so bored, spending all the
evening pinned to such a dull companion."

"I am afraid we shall all be bored to-night. The conversazione will be
dull beyond endurance."

"Why?"

"Partly because everything Grassini touches becomes as dull as himself."

"Now don't be spiteful. It is not fair when we are going to be a man's
guests."

"You are always right, Madonna. Well then, it will be dull because half
the interesting people are not coming."

"How is that?"

"I don't know. Out of town, or ill, or something. Anyway, there will
be two or three ambassadors and some learned Germans, and the usual
nondescript crowd of tourists and Russian princes and literary club
people, and a few French officers; nobody else that I know of--except,
of course, the new satirist, who is to be the attraction of the
evening."

"The new satirist? What, Rivarez? But I thought Grassini disapproved of
him so strongly."

"Yes; but once the man is here and is sure to be talked about, of course
Grassini wants his house to be the first place where the new lion will
be on show. You may be sure Rivarez has heard nothing of Grassini's
disapproval. He may have guessed it, though; he's sharp enough."

"I did not even know he had come."

"He only arrived yesterday. Here comes the tea. No, don't get up; let me
fetch the kettle.