The Front Yard

had been appointed f

belongs to the Bay of Naples, the soft hazy blue which is so

anied her. Pierre had included in his invitation the usual afternoon assembla

ourse, as Rod himself was nothing, less than nothing, the explanation must lie in the fact that Horace Bartholomew had suggested it. "Bartholomew

walking now besi

vely, came Gordon-Gray, who looked at life (save for the hunting) from the standpoint of the Italian Renaissance. Gordon-Gray knew a great deal about the Malatesta family; he had made a collection of Renaissance cloak clasps; he had written an essa

rections to one of the men in th

bears sometimes get among

"for they can take the canes and chastise them

ugar-canes

," said Eva. "Once it was a military post

rom behind; "the same mas

d; "whitewashed; flag-pole in the centre. There's nothing

good folk," calle

white and pink, had lifted their wings as if t

AY TO TH

e bears in the canes y

y places besides canes

ars," Eva went on.

d Dallas. "When they see Mr. Rod coming they sit up o

row there," said Rod, re

l go yourself-with your

w. I di

t very ha

should have seen us grubbin

haps your partne

pp and Rod is the

slowly. Then with quick utteran

came a troop of ponies that had escaped from their driver, and were galloping down to Sorrento; two and two they came

ne wall and extended his hand t

she had no need to leave the causeway. She had given one hand to Pierre as a beginning; he held it tightly. Mademoiselle meanwhile had climbed the wall like a cat.

ing up" the stumps. "Wha

on," said Pierre, jumping down. "And you must wear a

nted his

she said, sentimentally, with her head on one side. She put her well-gloved hand in Eva's arm, summoned

eir brown-robed brethren had aided Pierre's servant in arranging the table in the high room which commands the wonderful view of the se

douce

le Ca

he meant; he did not know himself. It

HE D

e: coffee, black-bread, and grapes which were half raisins was the monks' idea of a lunch) had

answered, in a low tone, unable to deny h

arranged by the deft fingers of Mademoiselle in a knot at her belt. But at the little feast Fanny was much more prominent than her daughter: this was Pierre's idea of what was proper; he asked her opinion, he referred everything to her with a smile which was homage in itself. Dall

w what you refer to,"

rtholomew suggested these excursions. Eva too showed an almost passionate desire for const

rom whose interstices innumerable violets swung, ran hither and thither, and the paths followed the copings. The fruit hung thickly on the trees. Above the hig

ut said nothing, and after a while he became absent-bodied as well, for he fell

ians," said Bartholomew; "he h

ng on one of the low stone walls at some distance from the party. Mademoiselle followed her, putting on her glasses as she went, in order to see her way over the heaped ridges. She held up her skirts, and gave ineffectual little leaps, al

me!" sai

The French woman evidently thinks that Rod should rise, or else that Eva should be seated also.

"I often say to her, 'Do sit down, child; it

his lips, and waved it imperceptibly towards his betrothed. "In ev

least mean to be rud

nterposed Dallas; "it isn't necessary. He is accustomed to sittin

rapture; she now took his arm. To punish Dallas she turned her steps-on her plump little feet in their delicate kid boots-towards the still seated Rod, with the

Mrs. Churchill anxiously. But in the presence of the mistress

e supposed they were about to leave t

oringly. He gave her th