seated. Bianca and Dr. Raymond were standing close
beside them.

"Carlo, you have not asked Bianca to dance, you won't forget, will you?"
Sonya murmured as soon as she had the opportunity without being
overheard. "I am afraid you have hurt her, but please don't let her
guess I have spoken to you."

Carlo flushed slightly.

"I am sorry my dear lady," he returned, which had been one of his old
time titles for Sonya. "I am afraid I have neglected Bianca. Miss
Thompson is such a wonderful dancer, she is apt to make one forget any
other partner."

But although Sonya smiled upon Carlo and forgave him, declining the
honor of dancing herself, Bianca was not to be appeased.

"I suppose Sonya asked you to invite me to dance, since you waited until
she arrived before you thought of me. Thank you just the same but I'd
rather not," Bianca said later in answer to his invitation.

Afterwards, although Carlo pleaded for her favor and returned several
times with a fresh request, nevertheless Bianca continued firm.

Then, a few moments before going back to the hospital with Sonya and Dr.
Clark, she waltzed for a short time with Dr. Raymond, in spite of the
fact that she had been right in declaring that he was a conspicuously
poor dancer.

CHAPTER XIII

_A Walk Along the River Bank_

SOME time later Bianca and Carlo Navara, not having seen each other
alone since New Year's eve, left the hospital early in the afternoon for
a walk together.

As a matter of fact Carlo's conscience had not been altogether easy
concerning his neglect of Bianca since their days together at
Chateau-Thierry. And certainly before those days he had reason to be
grateful to Bianca and fond of her as well! Moreover, a little private
talk with Sonya on this same subject, when Sonya had not spared his
vanity, had quickened his resolution. Curious, Sonya had said, that the
artist so seldom considers loyalty an essential trait of his own
character when he demands so much loyalty from others! And yet one knows
that without loyalty no human character has any real value!

Yet Carlo was not thinking of these ideas in detail when he and Bianca
started out.

It was a February day with the faintest suggestion of spring in the
damp, cold air.

Nevertheless, Bianca herself had chosen that they walk along the river
bank, following a path until they reached the promenade which extended
along a portion of the Rhine at Coblenz like the famous board walk of