ring about the corners of his mouth. Constance made
no response. As he strode off, however, she turned her head and looked
after him. He turned too and caught her. He waved his hand with a laugh,
and took up his way, whistling Santa Lucia in double time.

CHAPTER XIII

Three days passed in which Mr. Wilder and Tony industriously climbed, and
in which nothing of consequence passed between Constance and Tony. If she
happened to be about when the expeditions either started or came to an
end (and for one reason or another she usually was) she ignored him
entirely; and he ignored her, except for an occasional mockingly
deferential bow. He appeared to extract as much pleasure from the
excursions as Mr. Wilder, and he asked for no extra compensation by the
way.

It was Tuesday again, just a week and a day since the young American had
dropped over the wall of Villa Rosa asking for the garden of the prince.
Tony and Mr. Wilder were off on a trip; Miss Hazel and Constance on the
point of sitting down to afternoon tea--there were no guests to-day--when
the gardener from the Hotel du Lac appeared with a message from Nannie
Hilliard. She and her aunt had arrived half an hour before, which was a
good two days earlier than they were due. Constance read the note with a
clouded brow and silently passed it to Miss Hazel. The news was not so
entirely welcome as under other circumstances it would have been. Nannie
Hilliard was both perspicacious and fascinating, and Constance foresaw
that her presence would tangle further the already tangled plot of the
little comedy which was unfolding itself at Villa Rosa. But Miss Hazel,
divining nothing of comedies or plots, was thrown into a pleasant flutter
by the news. Guests were a luxury which occurred but seldom in the quiet
monotony of Valedolmo.

'We must call on them at once and bring them back to the house.'

'I suppose we must.' Constance agreed with an uncordial sigh.

Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to the Hotel du Lac, while
Elizabetta, on her knees in the villa guest-room, was vigorously
scrubbing the mosaic floor.

Gustavo hurried out to meet them. He was plainly in a flutter; something
had occurred to upset the usual suavity of his manners.

'_Si_, signorina, in ze garden--ze two American ladies--having tea. And
you are acquaint wif ze family; all ze time you are acquaint wif zem, and
you never tell me!' There was mystification and reproach in his tone.
Co