began it in Greek! That was a
little unexpected; but it was more strange that her companion cut her
short, saying very peremptorily, "Don't talk Greek; talk Italian."
This he said in Italian, and I, though no great hand at that language,
understood so much. Now why shouldn't the lady talk Greek, if Greek
were the language that came naturally to her tongue? It would be
as good a shield against idle listeners as most languages--unless,
indeed, I, who was known to be an amateur of Greece and Greek things,
were looked upon as a possible listener. Recollecting the glances
which I had detected, recollecting again those chance meetings, I
ventured on a covert gaze at the lady. Her handsome face expressed a
mixture of anger, alarm, and entreaty. The man was speaking to her now
in low, urgent tones; he raised his hand once and brought it down
on the table as though to emphasize some declaration--perhaps some
promise--which he was making. She regarded him with half angry,
distrustful eyes. He seemed to repeat his words; and she flung at
him, in a tone that suddenly grew louder, and in words that I could
translate: "Enough! I'll see to that. I shall come too!"

Her heat stirred no answering fire in him. He dropped his emphatic
manner, shrugged a tolerant "As you will," with eloquent shoulders,
smiled at her, and, reaching across the table, patted her hand. She
held it up before his eyes, and with the other hand pointed at a ring
on her finger.

"Yes, yes, my dearest," said he; and he was about to say more, when,
glancing round, he caught my gaze retreating in hasty confusion to
my plate. I dared not look up again, but I felt his scowl on me. I
suppose that I deserved punishment for my eavesdropping.

"And when can we get off, Charlie?" asked Denny, in his clear young
voice. My thoughts had wandered from him, and I paused for a moment,
as a man does when a question takes him unawares. There was silence
at the next table also. The fancy seemed absurd; but it occurred to me
that there also my answer was being waited for. Well, they could know
if they liked; it was no secret.

"In a fortnight," said I. "We'll travel easily, and get thereon the
seventh of next month; that's the day on which I'm entitled to take
over my kingdom. We shall go to Rhodes. Hogvardt will have bought me a
little yacht, and then--good-by to all this!" And a great longing
for solitude and a natural life came over me as I looked round on the
gilded cornices,