hands and rolled his eyes in a fine imitation of Gustavo. "She is
beautiful, signorina, beautiful as ze angels in Paradise!"

"There seem to be a good many people beautiful as the angels in
Paradise."

"She is most beautiful of all."

"What is her name?"

"Costantina." He said it softly, his eyes on her face.

"Ah," Constance rose and turned away with a shrug. Her manner suggested
that he had gone too far.

"She wash clothes at ze Hotel du Lac," he called after her.

Constance paused and glanced over her shoulder with a laugh.

"Tony," she said, "the quality which I admire most in a donkey-driver,
besides truthfulness and picturesqueness, is imagination."

CHAPTER VII

On the homeward journey Tony again trudged behind while the officers held
their post at Constance's side. But Tony's spirits were still singing
from the little encounter on the castle platform, and in spite of the
animated Italian which floated back, he was determined to look at the
sunny side of the adventure. It was Mr. Wilder who unconsciously supplied
him with a second opportunity for conversation. He and the Englishman,
being deep in a discussion involving statistics of the Italian army
budget, called on the two officers to set them straight. Tony, at their
order, took his place beside the saddle; Constance was not to be
abandoned again to Fidilini's caprice. Miss Hazel and the Englishwoman
were ambling on ahead in as matter-of-fact a fashion as if that were
their usual mode of travel. Their donkeys were of a sedater turn of mind
than Fidilini--a fact for which Tony offered thanks.

They were by this time well over the worst part of the mountain and the
brief Italian twilight was already fading. Tony, with a sharp eye on the
path ahead and a ready hand for the bridle, was attending strictly to the
duties of a well-trained donkey-man. It was Constance again who opened
the conversation.

"Ah, Tony?"

"_Si_, signorina?"

"Did you ever read any Angleesh books--or do you do most of your reading
in Magyar?"

"I haf read one, two, Angleesh books."

"Did you ever read--er--'The Lightning Conductor' for example?"

"No, signorina; I haf never read heem."

"I think it would interest you. It's about a man who pretends he's a
chauffeur in order to--to-- There are any number of books with the same
motive; 'She Stoops to Conquer,' 'Two Gentlemen of Verona,' 'Lalla
Rookh,' 'Monsieur Beaucaire'--Oh, dozens of them! It's an old plot; i