would not, even to be companionable. She could
never bring herself to touch wine, any more than to use powder on her
cheeks, which in truth did not need it, or a pencil to her eyebrows,
which would have looked better for that accentuation.

In a state of physical and mental well-being such as can be bought only
by an early rising, an inconsiderable breakfast, a long ride in the
warmth of Tuscan mid-May, an abundant and repairing repast, taken, amid
sweet conventual coolness, in company which leaves nothing to wish for
beyond it, they went forth to spend the time that must be granted the
horses for rest before the return to Florence.

[Illustration: "Come, let us reason together, Aurora"]

After loitering in the inn garden, they went to look at the memorials
relating to Saint John Gualberto, founder of the monastery. She listened
to the picturesque history of his life, death, and miracles, but was not
to be rendered sober-minded by any such thing. In the midst of Gerald's
instructive account of the holy abbot's endeavors to purify the monastic
orders from the stain of simony, her hand clutched his, and doing a
delicate cake-walk she compelled him along with her, announcing, "The
Hornet and the Bumble-bee went walking hand in hand!" Fancying this
prank not to have been without success, she next performed an improvised
_pas seul_ illustrative of the text, "The mountains shall skip like
little lambs!"

There was artfulness, as has been suspected, in Aurora's frequent jests
upon her size. Their gross exaggeration was fondly counted upon to make
her appear sylphlike by comparison with the images she raised.

To relieve the seriousness of Short Lessons on Great Subjects she
presently invented interrupting them at intervals to introduce Gerald
and herself to some rock or tree or mountain, as if it had been a poor
person standing by neglected. "Jack Sprat," she said, "and The Fat!" "A
busted cream-puff," she said, "and a drink of water!" Further, "Dino and
Retta!" Finally, with imagination running dry, "Gerry and Rory!"

Yes, by such little jokes--what Leslie called Jokes of the First
Category, Aurora sought to enliven the hour for Gerald. He never omitted
to laugh, without being able to enter enough into her fun to join her in
the same species. An incapacity. Still, there was no disguising the
basking enjoyment possessing him, his love of her gaiety, if not at all
moments of the form it took.

Finding it entrancing up t