e's head, at least, in such a neighborhood as this."
He rose as he spoke, and bent over Frank's shoulder to examine some
Views of Italy, which Miss Jemima (with what, if wholly unselfish, would
have been an attention truly delicate) had extracted from the library in
order to gratify the guest.

"Most interesting creature, indeed," sighed Miss Jemima, "but too--too
flattering!"

"Tell me," said Mrs. Dale gravely, "do you think, love, that you could
put off the end of the world a little longer, or must we make haste in
order to be in time?"

"How wicked you are!" said Miss Jemima, turning aside.

Some few minutes afterwards, Mrs. Dale contrived it so that Dr.
Riccabocca and herself were in a farther corner of the room, looking at
a picture said to be by Wouvermans.

_Mrs. Dale._--"She is very amiable, Jemima, is she not?"

_Riccabocca._--"Exceedingly so. Very fine battle-piece!"

_Mrs. Dale._--"So kind-hearted."

_Riccabocca._--"All ladies are. How naturally that warrior makes his
desperate cut at the runaway!"

_Mrs. Dale._--"She is not what is called regularly handsome, but she has
something very winning."

_Riccabocca_, with a smile.--"So winning, that it is strange she is not
won. That gray mare in the foreground stands out very boldly!"

_Mrs. Dale_, distrusting the smile of Riccabocca, and throwing in a more
effective grape charge.--"Not won yet; and it _is_ strange!--she will
have a very pretty fortune."

_Riccabocca._--"Ah!"

_Mrs. Dale._--"Six thousand pounds, I dare say--certainly four."

_Riccabocca_, suppressing a sigh, and with his wonted address.--"If Mrs.
Dale were still single, she would never need a friend to say what her
portion might be; but Miss Jemima is so good that I am quite sure it is
not Miss Jemima's fault that she is still--Miss Jemima!"

The foreigner slipped away as he spoke, and sat himself down beside the
whist-players.

Mrs. Dale was disappointed, but certainly not offended.--"It would be
such a good thing for both," muttered she, almost inaudibly.

"Giacomo," said Riccabocca, as he was undressing, that night, in the
large, comfortable, well-carpeted English bedroom, with that great
English four-posted bed in the recess which seems made to shame folks
out of single-blessedness--"Giacomo, I have had this evening the offer
of probably six thousand pounds--certainly of four thousand."

"_Cosa meravigliosa!_" exclaimed Jackeymo--"miraculous thing!" and he
crossed himself