ustavo."

The waiter's eyes roved anxiously. They lighted on the lunette of
shimmering water and purple mountains visible at the farther end of the
arbor.

"Zere is ze view," he suggested humbly. "Ze view from ze water front is
consider ver' beautiful, ver' nice. Many foreigners come entirely for
him. You can see Lago di Garda, Monte Brione, Monte Baldo wif ze ruin
castle of ze Scaliger, Monte Maggiore, ze Altissimo di Nago, ze snow
cover peak of Monte--"

Mr. Jerymn Hilliard Jr. stopped him with a gesture.

"That will do; I read Baedeker myself, and I saw them all the first night
I came. You must know at your age, Gustavo, that a man can't enjoy a view
by himself; it takes two for that sort of thing--Yes, the truth is that I
am lonely. You can see yourself to what straits I am pushed for
conversation. If I had your command of language, now, I would talk to the
German Alpine climbers."

An idea flashed over Gustavo's features.

"Ah, zat is it! Why does not ze signore climb mountains? Ver' helful;
ver' diverting. I find guide."

"You needn't bother. Your guide would be Italian, and it's too much of a
strain to talk to a man all day in dumb show." He folded his arms with a
weary sigh. "A week of Valedolmo! An eternity!"

Gustavo echoed the sigh. Though he did not entirely comprehend the
trouble, still he was of a generously sympathetic nature.

"It is a pity," he observed casually, "zat you are not acquaint wif ze
Signor Americano who lives in Villa Rosa. He also finds Valedolmo
undiverting. He comes--but often--to talk wif me. He has fear of
forgetting how to spik Angleesh, he says."

The young man opened his eyes.

"What are you talking about--a Signor Americano here in Valedolmo?"

"_Sicuramente_, in zat rose-color villa wif ze cypress trees and ze
_terrazzo_ on ze lake. His daughter, la Signorina Costantina, she live
wif him--ver' yong, ver' beautiful--" Gustavo rolled his eyes and clasped
his hands--"beautiful like ze angels in Paradise--and she spik Italia
like I spik Angleesh."

Jerymn Hilliard Jr. unfolded his arms and sat up alertly.

"You mean to tell me that you had an American family up your sleeve all
this time and never said a word about it?" His tone was stern.

"_Scusi_, signore, I have not known zat you have ze plaisir of zer
acquaintance."

"The pleasure of their acquaintance! Good heavens, Gustavo, when one
ship-wrecked man meets another ship-wrecked man on a desert island must
they