to
breakfast, found himself sitting opposite them on his way to the Villa
Violante. The conversation during the drive up to the Vomero need not be
detailed. Mrs. Hartleigh arrived at the opinion that our friend was
rather a dull person. Mrs. Ruggles, as he had found out, was usually
rather taciturn. Neither is it necessary to say very much of the
breakfast, nor of the people assembled.

It appeared that several guests had departed the previous day, and the
people at table consisted only of Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles, Mary, Mr. and
Mrs. Hartleigh and their two daughters, and John, whose conversation was
mostly with his host, and was rather desultory. In fact, there was
during the meal a perceptible air of something like disquietude. Mr.
Ruggles in particular said almost nothing, and wore an appearance of
what seemed like anxiety. Once he turned to his host: "When ought I to
get an answer to that cable, Hartleigh? to-day, do you think?"

"Yes, I should say so without doubt," was the reply, "if it's answered
promptly, and in fact there's plenty of time. Remember that we are about
six hours earlier than New York by the clock, and it's only about seven
in the morning over there."

* * * * *

Coffee was served on the balustraded platform of the flight of marble
steps leading down to the grounds below.

"Mary," said Mrs. Hartleigh, when cigarettes had been offered, "don't
you want to show Mr. Lenox something of La Violante?"

"I shall take you to my favorite place," she said, as they descended the
steps together.

The southern front of the grounds of the Villa Violante is bounded and
upheld by a wall of tufa fifty feet in height and some four hundred feet
long. About midway of its length a semicircular bench of marble, with a
rail, is built out over one of the buttresses. From this point is
visible the whole bay and harbor of Naples, and about one third of the
city lies in sight, five hundred feet below. To the left one sees
Vesuvius and the Sant' Angelo chain, which the eye follows to Sorrento.
Straight out in front stands Capri, and to the right the curve of the
bay, ending at Posilipo. The two, John and his companion, halted near
the bench, and leaned upon the parapet of the wall for a while in
silence. From the streets below rose no rumble of traffic, no sound of
hoof or wheel; but up through three thousand feet of distance came from
here and there the voices of street-venders, the clang o