was doing
exactly what Dr. Paltravi desired him to do), he was quite happy and
spent a pleasant evening. But in the morning, as he looked at himself in
the mirror, he remembered her gray hair."

At the word "conscience" an indication of a sneer had appeared on the
face of the young lady, but she did not interrupt.

"It was about a week after this that Donna Paltravi sat alone in the
little room on the second floor, and Dr. Jaqui sat alone in the little
room on the first floor. She was waiting for him to come to her, and
he was not intending to go. He believed, with reason, that she was
expecting him to propose marriage to her, and he did not intend to offer
himself. He was very willing to marry a middle-aged lady, but he did
not wish to espouse an old one--at least, an old one who looked her age;
and that Donna Paltravi was going to look her full age in a very short
time Jaqui had now no doubt whatever. Her face was beginning to show a
great many wrinkles, and her hair was not only gray but white in some
places. But these changes did not in the least interfere with her good
looks, for in some ways she was growing more handsome and stately than
she had been before; but our good friend Jaqui--"

"Not my good friend Jaqui, please," interrupted the Daughter of the
House.

"Said to himself," continued John Gayther, "that he did not want a
mother, but a wife. A few weeks before he would have supposed such a
thing impossible, but now a certain sympathy for Florino rose in his
heart. So he did not go up-stairs that evening, and the lady was very
much disturbed and did not sleep well.

"In a few days Jaqui got ready to go away again, and this time he went
to bid the lady good-by. She had heard he was about to take a journey,
and as he greeted her he saw she had been weeping but was quite composed
now. 'Farewell, my friend,' said she. 'I know what is happening to me,
and I know what is happening to you. It will be well for you to stay
away for a time, and when you return you will see that we are to be
very good friends, greatly interested in the progress of science and
civilization.' Then she smiled and shook hands with him.

"Jaqui went to Rome and to Naples, wandering about in an objectless sort
of way. He dreaded to go to Milan, because he had not heard that
Dr. Paltravi was dead, and it would have been very hard for him to have
to explain to the sick man why he had decided not to carry out his
wishes. Apart from the di