onvenient for pulling.'

'You are making that up. You don't remember.'

'Ah, but I do! And as for the racket you were making that afternoon, it
was, if you will permit the expression, _infernal_. I remember it
distinctly; I was trying to cram for a math. exam.'

'It wasn't I. It was your bad little sisters and brothers and cousins.'

'It was you, dear Constance. I saw you with my own eyes; I heard you with
my own ears.'

'Bobbie Hilliard was pulling my hair.'

'I apologize on his behalf, and with that we will close the incident.
There is something much more important which I wish to talk about.'

'Have you seen Nannie?' She offered this hastily, not to allow a pause.

'Yes, dear Constance, I have seen Nannie.'

'Call me "Miss Wilder," please.'

'I'll be hanged if I will! You've been calling me Tony and Jerry and
anything else you chose ever since you knew me--and long before for the
matter of that.'

Constance waived the point.

'Was she glad to see you?'

'She's always glad to see me.'

'Oh, don't be so provoking! Give me the particulars. Was she surprised?
How did you explain the telegrams and letters and Gustavo's stories? I
should think the Hotel Sole d'Oro at Riva and the walking trip with the
Englishman must have been difficult.'

'Not in the least; I told the truth.'

'The truth! Not all of it?'

'Every word.'

'How could you?' There was reproach in her accent.

'It did come hard; I'm a little out of practice.'

'Did you tell her about--about me?'

'I had to, Constance. When it came to the necessity of squaring all of
Gustavo's yarns, my imagination gave out. Anyway, I had to tell her out
of self-defence; she was so superior. She said it was just like a man to
muddle everything up. Here I'd been ten days in the same town with the
most charming girl in the world, and hadn't so much as discovered her
name; whereas if _she_ had been managing it---- You see how it was; I had
to let her know that I was quite capable of taking care of myself without
any interference from her. I even--anticipated a trifle.'

'How?'

'She said she was engaged. I told her I was too.'

'Indeed!' Constance's tone was remote. 'To whom?'

'The most charming girl in the world.'

'May I ask her name?'

He laid his hand on his heart in a gesture reminiscent of Tony.
'Costantina.'

'Oh! I congratulate you.'

'Thank you--I hoped you would.'

She looked away gravely toward the Maggiore rising from the midst o