I held forth on the qualities of different Mediterranean
sailing craft and on the romantic qualifications of Dominic for the task.
I believe I gave her the whole history of the man, mentioning even the
existence of Madame Leonore, since the little cafe would have to be the
headquarters of the marine part of the plot.

She murmured, "_Ah_! _Une belle Romaine_," thoughtfully. She told me
that she liked to hear people of that sort spoken of in terms of our
common humanity. She observed also that she wished to see Dominic some
day; to set her eyes for once on a man who could be absolutely depended
on. She wanted to know whether he had engaged himself in this adventure
solely for my sake.

I said that no doubt it was partly that. We had been very close
associates in the West Indies from where we had returned together, and he
had a notion that I could be depended on, too. But mainly, I suppose, it
was from taste. And there was in him also a fine carelessness as to what
he did and a love of venturesome enterprise.

"And you," she said. "Is it carelessness, too?"

"In a measure," I said. "Within limits."

"And very soon you will get tired."

"When I do I will tell you. But I may also get frightened. I suppose
you know there are risks, I mean apart from the risk of life."

"As for instance," she said.

"For instance, being captured, tried, and sentenced to what they call
'the galleys,' in Ceuta."

"And all this from that love for . . ."

"Not for Legitimacy," I interrupted the inquiry lightly. "But what's the
use asking such questions? It's like asking the veiled figure of fate.
It doesn't know its own mind nor its own heart. It has no heart. But
what if I were to start asking you--who have a heart and are not veiled
to my sight?" She dropped her charming adolescent head, so firm in
modelling, so gentle in expression. Her uncovered neck was round like
the shaft of a column. She wore the same wrapper of thick blue silk. At
that time she seemed to live either in her riding habit or in that
wrapper folded tightly round her and open low to a point in front.
Because of the absence of all trimming round the neck and from the deep
view of her bare arms in the wide sleeve this garment seemed to be put
directly on her skin and gave one the impression of one's nearness to her
body which would have been troubling but for the perfect unconsciousness
of her manner. That day she carried no barbarous arrow in her