who was there, and then he
spoke in Italian with Cazzi; and afterwards, when he heard her speaking
English with Cazzi, he joined in. I don't know how he came to join in at
first, and she doesn't, either; but it seems that he knew some English,
and he began speaking. He was very tall and handsome and
distinguished-looking, and a _perfect_ gentleman in his manners; and she
says that she saw Cazzi looking rather queer, but he didn't say
anything, and so she kept on talking. She told him at once that she was
an American, and that she was coming here to stay with friends; and, as
he was very curious about America, she told him all she could think of.
It did her good to talk about home, for she had been feeling a little
blue at being so far away from everybody. Now, _I_ don't see any harm in
it; do you, Owen?"

"It isn't according to the custom here; but we needn't care for that. Of
course it was imprudent."

"Of course," Mrs. Elmore admitted. "The officer was very polite; and
when he found that she was from America, it turned out that he was a
_great_ sympathizer with the North, and that he had a brother in our
army. Don't you think that was nice?"

"Probably some mere soldier of fortune, with no heart in the cause,"
said Elmore.

"And very likely he has no brother there, as I told Lily. He told her he
was coming to Padua; but when they reached Padua, he came right on to
Venice. That _shows_ you couldn't place any dependence upon what he
said. He said he expected to be put under arrest for it; but he didn't
care,--he was coming. Do you believe they'll put him under arrest?"

"I don't know--I don't know," said Elmore, in a voice of grief and
apprehension, which might well have seemed anxiety for the officer's
liberty.

"I told her it was one of his jokes. He was very funny, and kept her
laughing the whole way, with his broken English and his witty little
remarks. She says he's just dying to go to America. Who do you suppose
it can be, Owen?"

"How should I know? We've no acquaintance among the Austrians," groaned
Elmore.

"That's what I told Lily. She's no idea of the state of things here, and
she was quite horrified. But she says he was a perfect gentleman in
everything. He belongs to the engineer corps,--that's one of the highest
branches of the service, he told her,--and he gave her his card."

"Gave her his card!"

Mrs. Elmore had it in the hand which she had been keeping in her pocket,
and she now suddenly