ct to this sort of sensitiveness, as
he was well aware. There was nothing to be done but to be quiet,
attentive in small things, and to wait for fair weather again. After
all, he had crossed the Rubicon, and had been very well received on the
other side. It would not be easy to make him go back again.

"My angel," said the Marchesa, throwing away the end of her cigarette,
"you have caught cold. We must go home immediately."

"Yes, mamma."

With all her languor and laziness and selfishness, the Marchesa was not
devoid of tact, least of all where her own ends were concerned, and when
she took the trouble to have any object in life at all. She saw in her
daughter's face that something had annoyed her, and she at once
determined that no reference should be made to the great business of the
moment, and that it would be best to end the evening in general
conversation, leaving San Miniato no further opportunity of being alone
with Beatrice. She guessed well enough that the girl was not really in
love, but had yielded in a measure to the man's practised skill in
love-making, but she was really anxious that the result should be
permanent.

Beatrice was grateful to her for putting an end to the situation. The
young girl was pale and her bright eyes had suddenly grown tired and
heavy. She sat down beside her mother and shaded her brow against the
lamp with her hand, while San Miniato went to give orders about
returning.

"My dear child," said the Marchesa, "I am converted; it has been a
delightful excursion; we have had an excellent dinner, and I am not at
all tired. I am sure you have given yourself quite as much trouble about
it as San Miniato."

Beatrice laughed nervously.

"There were a good many things to remember," she said, "but I wish
there had been twice as many--it was so amusing to make out the list of
all your little wants."

"What a good daughter you are to me, my angel," sighed the Marchesa.

It was not often that she showed so much, affection. Possibly she was
rarely conscious of loving her child very much, and on the present
occasion the emotion was not so overpowering as to have forced her to
the expression of it, had she not seen the necessity for humouring the
girl and restoring her normal good temper. On the whole, a very good
understanding existed between the two, of such a nature that it would
have been hard to destroy it. For it was impossible to quarrel with the
Marchesa, for the simple reason t