of Wight? It lifts up just before rain, and you
see it from the Downs.'

'Very likely. Our villa's on the south edge of the Island, by the
Broken Cliffs. Most of it is three hundred years old, but the
cow-stables, where our first ancestor lived, must be a hundred years
older. Oh, quite that, because the founder of our family had his land
given him by Agricola at the Settlement. It's not a bad little place
for its size. In springtime violets grow down to the very beach. I've
gathered sea-weeds for myself and violets for my Mother many a time
with our old nurse.'

'Was your nurse a--a Romaness too?'

'No, a Numidian. Gods be good to her! A dear, fat, brown thing with a
tongue like a cowbell. She was a free woman. By the way, are you
free, maiden?'

'Oh, quite,' said Una. 'At least, till tea-time; and in summer our
governess doesn't say much if we're late.'

The young man laughed again--a proper understanding laugh.

'I see,' said he. 'That accounts for your being in the wood. We hid
among the cliffs.'

'Did you have a governess, then?'

'Did we not? A Greek, too. She had a way of clutching her dress when
she hunted us among the gorse-bushes that made us laugh. Then she'd
say she'd get us whipped. She never did, though, bless her! Aglaia
was a thorough sportswoman, for all her learning.'

'But what lessons did you do--when--when you were little?' 'Ancient
history, the Classics, arithmetic and so on,'he answered. 'My sister
and I were thickheads, but my two brothers (I'm the middle one) liked
those things, and, of course, Mother was clever enough for any six.
She was nearly as tall as I am, and she looked like the new statue on
the Western Road--the Demeter of the Baskets, you know. And funny!
Roma Dea! How Mother could make us laugh!'

'What at?'

'Little jokes and sayings that every family has. Don't you know?'

'I know we have, but I didn't know other people had them too,' said
Una. 'Tell me about all your family, please.'

'Good families are very much alike. Mother would sit spinning of
evenings while Aglaia read in her corner, and Father did accounts, and
we four romped about the passages. When our noise grew too loud the
Pater would say, "Less tumult! Less tumult! Have you never heard of a
Father's right over his children? He can slay them, my loves--slay
them dead, and the Gods highly approve of the action!" Then Mother
would prim up her dear mouth over the wheel and answ