, and she must go with the
tide.

And from this the letter wandered on to personal matters.

Meanwhile John Derringham had received Mrs. Porrit's answer and had
ascertained the Professor's probable address, and was joyously speeding
his way on to Rome.

CHAPTER XXXIV

The Palace of the Caesars was lying in blazing heat when Halcyone and the
Professor decided to spend the afternoon there. People had warned them
not to get to Rome until October, but they were both lovers of the sun,
and paid no heed. It would be particularly delightful to have the
eternal city to themselves, and they had come straight down from San
Gimignano, meaning to pick up their motor again at Perugia on their way
back, as the roads to the south were so bad.

They had only arrived the evening before, and felt the Palatine hill
should be their first pilgrimage. It was completely deserted in the heat
and they wandered in peace. They had gone all through the dark rooms
which overlook the Forum, and had reached the garden upon the top, with
its cypress and cool shade. Here Halcyone sat down on a bench, looking
over the wonderful scene. She wanted to re-read a letter from her Aunt
Roberta which had arrived as they were starting out.

The old ladies were delighted with their accession to a modest fortune,
the matter was turning out well, and they hoped to have their ancient
brougham repainted and a quiet horse to draw it, before very long, so
that, even when it rained, they could have the pleasure of going to
church.

William, the Aunt Roberta added, was really growing a little old for so
many duties, and would, under the new and more prosperous _regime_,
confine himself to being only butler. Halcyone would find several
changes on her return; among them the four gates had been mended!

As she read this part of the letter, Halcyone almost sighed! The gates,
especially the one of the beech avenue, had always been such friends of
hers, she knew and loved each crack. And then her thoughts wandered, as
ever, to her lover. Where was he and how had it fared with him? Her
serene calm was not disturbed--she felt certainty in every breath of the
soft warm air--the certainty that the springtime of their souls had
come.

Now, that same morning, John Derringham had arrived at the Grand Hotel,
and, after breakfasting, had made his way to the hotel to which Mrs.
Porrit had informed him the Professor's letters were to be addressed.
And Demetrius,