ined that, like other
princes before him, he had made the acquaintance of the thing called
compromise. "Shall I come back?" he asked with the same smile.

"In half an hour," said Christina.

In the clear outer light, Rowland's first impression of her was that she
was more beautiful than ever. And yet in three months she could hardly
have changed; the change was in Rowland's own vision of her, which that
last interview, on the eve of her marriage, had made unprecedentedly
tender.

"How came you here?" she asked. "Are you staying in this place?"

"I am staying at Engelthal, some ten miles away; I walked over."

"Are you alone?"

"I am with Mr. Hudson."

"Is he here with you?"

"He went half an hour ago to climb a rock for a view."

"And his mother and that young girl, where are they?"

"They also are at Engelthal."

"What do you do there?"

"What do you do here?" said Rowland, smiling.

"I count the minutes till my week is up. I hate mountains; they depress
me to death. I am sure Miss Garland likes them."

"She is very fond of them, I believe."

"You believe--don't you know? But I have given up trying to imitate Miss
Garland," said Christina.

"You surely need imitate no one."

"Don't say that," she said gravely. "So you have walked ten miles this
morning? And you are to walk back again?"

"Back again to supper."

"And Mr. Hudson too?"

"Mr. Hudson especially. He is a great walker."

"You men are happy!" Christina cried. "I believe I should enjoy the
mountains if I could do such things. It is sitting still and having them
scowl down at you! Prince Casamassina never rides. He only goes on a
mule. He was carried up the Faulhorn on a litter."

"On a litter?" said Rowland.

"In one of those machines--a chaise a porteurs--like a woman."

Rowland received this information in silence; it was equally unbecoming
to either to relish or deprecate its irony.

"Is Mr. Hudson to join you again? Will he come here?" Christina asked.

"I shall soon begin to expect him."

"What shall you do when you leave Switzerland?" Christina continued.
"Shall you go back to Rome?"

"I rather doubt it. My plans are very uncertain."

"They depend upon Mr. Hudson, eh?"

"In a great measure."

"I want you to tell me about him. Is he still in that perverse state of
mind that afflicted you so much?"

Rowland looked at her mistrustfully, without answering. He was
indisposed, instinctively, to tell her that Roderick w