yway," the Captain said, "and now good-by."

He kissed her low, broad forehead, very gently.

"Good-by, fairy godfather, come back soon." Lucia tried not to let her
voice tremble.

The Captain got into the car hurriedly. He waved to the group on the
steps until he was out of sight.

Lucia went back into the house, but the spacious rooms and high
ceilings only added to her unhappiness. She almost longed for the
comfort of the tiny old cottage and the familiar sight of the green bed.

She wandered about listlessly; she was quite alone. Nana had gone back
to her lace making, and Beppi was in the garden. The old man and his
wife--the Captain's faithful servants--were in the kitchen.

In the library Lucia stopped before the rows of books and tried to read
their titles. But she gave it up and looked at the pictures, that
amused her for a little while, for she thought they were beautiful, but
she did not understand them. She could not give anything her undivided
attention for her thoughts were on the way with the Captain, and she
was fighting against the unhappiness that threatened to overpower her.

"Surely he will come back," she said, to a copy of Andrea del Sarto's
St. John that hung above the mantel. "This cruel war has taken my real
father; it cannot take my godfather too." She gave herself a little
shake, "It is that I am lonely that I think such sad thoughts, I will
go out to the garden and pick flowers for the soldiers."

Accordingly she found her basket and scissors and spent the rest of the
afternoon in the garden. When her basket was piled high she put on her
hat very carefully, regarding it from every angle of the Florentin
mirror. It was the first hat she had ever owned and she was very proud
of it.

When it was tilted to her satisfaction she took up the basket and went
out by the garden gate.

The hospital was a little over a mile away. Lucia had visited it with
Captain Riccardi. It had formerly been a private villa and its
terraced gardens went down to the water's edge.

Lucia knew the way and she loitered along, enjoying the newness of the
scenes about her. Everything and everybody were so different, the
fishermen with their bright sashes and Roman striped stocking caps, the
old women and the young girls in their bright dresses, with great gold
loops hanging from their ears. Even the sound of their voices was
different as they called out greetings to one another.

Lucia decided tha