inish his ignominiously low proposal, and
a low growl of disapprobation smothered his words.

'Do you mean to tell me,' said Joe angrily, 'that there's not a man here
will step over to the town to order a chaise and post-horses?'

'And if yer honour will put his hand in his pocket and tempt us with a
couple of crown-pieces, there's no saying what we wouldn't do,' said a
little bandy old fellow, who was washing his face at the pump.

'And are crown-pieces so plentiful with you down here that you can earn
them so easily?' said Atlee, with a sneer.

'Be me sowl, yer honour, it's thinking that they're not so aisy to come at,
makes us a bit lazy this evening!' said a ragged fellow, with a grin, which
was quickly followed by a hearty laugh from those around him.

Something that sounded like a titter above his head made Atlee look up, and
there, exactly over where he stood, was Nina, leaning over a little stone
balcony in front of a window, an amused witness of the scene beneath.

'I have two words for yourself,' cried he to her in Italian. 'Will you come
down to the garden for one moment?'

'Cannot the two words be said in the drawing-room?' asked she, half
saucily, in the same language.

'No, they cannot be said in the drawing-room,' continued he sternly.

'It's dropping rain. I should get wet.'

'Take an umbrella, then, but come. Mind me, Signora Nina, I am the bearer
of a message for you.'

There was something almost disdainful in the toss of her head as she heard
these words, and she hastily retired from the balcony and entered the room.

Atlee watched her, by no means certain what her gesture might portend.
Was she indignant with him for the liberty he had taken? or was she about
to comply with his request, and meet him? He knew too little of her to
determine which was the more likely; and he could not help feeling that,
had he only known her longer, his doubt might have been just as great. Her
mind, thought he, is perhaps like my own: it has many turnings, and she's
never very certain which one of them she will follow. Somehow, this imputed
wilfulness gave her, to his eyes, a charm scarcely second to that of her
exceeding beauty. And what beauty it was! The very perfection of symmetry
in every feature when at rest, while the varied expressions of her face as
she spoke, or smiled, or listened, imparted a fascination which only needed
the charm of her low liquid voice to be irresistible.

How she vulgarises t