"

"Oh, not quite," said the Prince, in English, with a tone of great
precision. "There was already a Sleeping Beauty in the Wood!"

"Charming!" cried Mrs. Light. "Do you hear that, my dear?"

"When the prince says a brilliant thing, it would be a pity to lose it,"
said the young girl. "Your servant, sir!" And she smiled at him with a
grace that might have reassured him, if he had thought her compliment
ambiguous.

Roderick meanwhile had risen to his feet, and Mrs. Light began to
exclaim on the oddity of their meeting and to explain that the day was
so lovely that she had been charmed with the idea of spending it in the
country. And who would ever have thought of finding Mr. Mallet and Mr.
Hudson sleeping under a tree!

"Oh, I beg your pardon; I was not sleeping," said Rowland.

"Don't you know that Mr. Mallet is Mr. Hudson's sheep-dog?" asked
Christina. "He was mounting guard to keep away the wolves."

"To indifferent purpose, madame!" said Rowland, indicating the young
girl.

"Is that the way you spend your time?" Christina demanded of Roderick.
"I never yet happened to learn what men were doing when they supposed
women were not watching them but it was something vastly below their
reputation."

"When, pray," said Roderick, smoothing his ruffled locks, "are women not
watching them?"

"We shall give you something better to do, at any rate. How long have
you been here? It 's an age since I have seen you. We consider you
domiciled here, and expect you to play host and entertain us."

Roderick said that he could offer them nothing but to show them the
great terrace, with its view; and ten minutes later the group was
assembled there. Mrs. Light was extravagant in her satisfaction;
Christina looked away at the Sabine mountains, in silence. The prince
stood by, frowning at the rapture of the elder lady.

"This is nothing," he said at last. "My word of honor. Have you seen the
terrace at San Gaetano?"

"Ah, that terrace," murmured Mrs. Light, amorously. "I suppose it is
magnificent!"

"It is four hundred feet long, and paved with marble. And the view is
a thousand times more beautiful than this. You see, far away, the blue,
blue sea and the little smoke of Vesuvio!"

"Christina, love," cried Mrs. Light forthwith, "the prince has a terrace
four hundred feet long, all paved with marble!"

The Cavaliere gave a little cough and began to wipe his eye-glass.

"Stupendous!" said Christina. "To go from one end t