produced it; and Elmore read the name and address
of Ernst von Ehrhardt, Captain of the Royal-Imperial Engineers,
Peschiera. "She says she knows he wanted hers, but she didn't offer to
give it to him; and he didn't ask her where she was going, or anything."

"He knew that he could get her address from Cazzi for ten soldi as soon
as her back was turned," said Elmore cynically. "What then?"

"Why, he said--and this is the only really bold thing he _did_ do--that
he must see her again, and that he should stay over a day in Venice in
hopes of meeting her at the theatre or somewhere."

"It's a piece of high-handed impudence!" cried Elmore. "Now, Celia, you
see what these people are! Do you wonder that the Italians hate them?"

"You've often said they only hate their system."

"The Austrians are part of their system. He thinks he can take any
liberty with us because he is an Austrian officer! Lily must not stir
out of the house to-morrow."

"She will be too tired to do so," said Mrs. Elmore.

"And if he molests us further, I will appeal to the consul." Elmore
began to walk up and down the room again.

"Well, I don't know whether you could call it _molesting_, exactly,"
suggested Mrs. Elmore.

"What do you mean, Celia? Do you suppose that she--she--encouraged this
officer?"

"Owen! It was all in the simplicity and innocence of her heart!"

"Well, then, that she wishes to see him again?"

"Certainly not! But that's no reason why we should be rude about it."

"Rude about it? How? Is simply avoiding him rudeness? Is proposing to
protect ourselves from his impertinence rudeness?"

"No. And if you can't see the matter for yourself, Owen, I don't know
how any one is to make you."

"Why, Celia, one would think that you approved of this man's
behavior,--that _you_ wished her to meet him again! You understand what
the consequences would be if we received this officer. You know how all
the Venetians would drop us, and we should have no acquaintances here
outside of the army."

"Who has asked you to receive him, Owen? And as for the Italians
dropping us, that doesn't frighten me. But what could he do if he did
meet her again? She needn't look at him. She says he is very
intelligent, and that he has read a great many English books, though he
doesn't speak it very well, and that he knows more about the war than
she does. But of course she won't go out to-morrow. All that I hate is
that we should seem to be frightened in