e hand of Miss Bell, whom he knew to be skilful at earning
money and practised in the art of housekeeping. He really liked
peasants. The ardent praises of Choulette, which he understood vaguely,
awakened this affection in him. He forgot himself enough to express his
mind:

"In a country where master and servants form one family, the fate of the
one depends on that of the others. Taxes despoil us. How good are our
farmers! They are the best men in the world to till the soil."

Madame Martin confessed that she should not have believed it. The
country of Lombardy alone seemed to her to be well cultivated. Tuscany
appeared a beautiful, wild orchard.

The Prince replied, smilingly, that perhaps she would not speak in that
way if she had done him the honor of visiting his farms of Casentino,
although these had suffered from long and ruinous lawsuits. She would
have seen there what an Italian landscape really is.

"I take a great deal of care of my domain. I was coming from it to-night
when I had the double pleasure of finding at the station Miss Bell,
who had gone there to find her Ghiberti bell, and you, Madame, who were
talking with a friend from Paris."

He had the idea that it would be disagreeable to her to hear him speak
of that meeting. He looked around the table, and saw the expression of
anxious surprise which Dechartre could not restrain. He insisted:

"Forgive, Madame, in a rustic, a certain pretension to knowing something
about the world. In the man who was talking to you I recognized
a Parisian, because he had an English air; and while he affected
stiffness, he showed perfect ease and particular vivacity."

"Oh," said Therese, negligently, "I have not seen him for a long time.
I was much surprised to meet him at Florence at the moment of his
departure."

She looked at Dechartre, who affected not to listen.

"I know that gentleman," said Miss Bell. "It is Monsieur Le Menil. I
dined with him twice at Madame Martin's, and he talked to me very well.
He said he liked football; that he introduced the game in France,
and that now football is quite the fashion. He also related to me his
hunting adventures. He likes animals. I have observed that hunters like
animals. I assure you, darling, that Monsieur Le Menil talks admirably
about hares. He knows their habits. He said to me it was a pleasure to
look at them dancing in the moonlight on the plains. He assured me that
they were very intelligent, and that he had