e said two gentlemen had
fought a duel because one of them had found the other nasconding in his
garden-house. The one thus found obstinated himself, says Italo, to
maintain that he had come to make a copy of the architectural design
over the door. But as he didn't seem to have any pencil--"

"Mrs. Hawthorne, how can you be amused by such disgusting stuff?"

She gazed at him inquiringly, with very blue eyes and a look of
innocence, real or put on, then laughed.

"I am, just. I can't tell you the how of it. Do you know Italo's sister
Clotilde?"

"I have not that advantage, no."

"You soon will have, if you care for it, for she's coming to live with
us."

He stared.

"Yes, she's coming to keep house. She speaks English quite well, because
she's had so much to do with English and Americans, being a teacher of
Italian and French. It began with Italo wanting us to take lessons of
her. But, bless you, I don't want to study! I can pick up all I need
without. We said, however, 'Bring her to see us.' And he did. She's real
nice."

"Does she resemble her brother?"

"In some ways. I've an idea, though, that you'd like her better than you
seem to do him. I believe we shall be very well satisfied with her, and
shall save money. Since we seem to have got on to the subject of money
to-day: Luigi, the butler, who has everything under him now, Estelle
says is a caution to snakes, the way he robs us. Now, we're easy-going
and, I dare say, fools; but not darn, darn fools. It's a mistake to
think we wouldn't see a thing big's a mountain, and that you could cheat
us the way that handsome, fine-mannered, dignified villain Loo-ee-gy
thinks he can. So we're going to put in his place a nice woman who is,
in part, our friend, and will care to see that we're dealt fairly with.
Clotilde doesn't seem to mind giving up her lessons to come and be a
sort of elegant housekeeper for us."

"I understand."

"Charlie Hunt is disgusted about it, because when we complained of Luigi
before him, he said he would find us exactly the right person to take
his place. But, you see, we didn't wait. I don't see that we were bound
to. What do you think?"

"It is a case, dear Mrs. Hawthorne, where I must not allow myself to say
what I think."

"Personally, I must say I was rather glad to have Clotilde step in as
she did, because I don't mind telling you--you won't tell anybody
else?--I find just the least little bit of a disposition in that young
man