so
abomin-_ab_-ly rich!" She smiled to the Italian again, and both of them
smiled beamingly on Mellin.

"But that isn't always our fault, is it?" said Mellin easily.

"Aha! You mean you are of the new generation, of the yo'ng American' who
come over an' try to spen' these immense fortune'--those _'pile'_--your
father or your gran-father make! I know quite well. Ah?"

"Well," he hesitated, smiling. "I suppose it does look a little by way
of being like that."

"Wicked fellow!" She leaned forward and tapped his shoulder chidingly
with two fingers. "I know what you wish the mos' in the worl'--you
wish to get into mischief. That is it! No, sir, I will jus' take you in
han'!"

"When will you take me?" he asked boldly.

At this, the pleasant murmur of laughter--half actual and half
suggested--with which she underlined the conversation, became loud and
clear, as she allowed her vivacious glance to strike straight into his
upturned eyes, and answered:

"As long as a little turn roun' the hill, _now_. Cavaliere Corni--"

To Mellin's surprise and delight the Italian immediately descended from
the victoria without the slightest appearance of irritation; on
the contrary, he was urbane to a fine degree, and, upon Madame de
Vaurigard's formally introducing him to Mellin, saluted the latter with
grave politeness, expressing in good English a hope that they might meet
often. When the American was installed at the Countess' side she spoke
to the driver in Italian, and they began to move slowly along the ilex
avenue, the coachman reining his horses to a walk.

"You speak Italian?" she inquired.

"Oh, not a great deal more than a smattering," he replied airily--a
truthful answer, inasmuch as a vocabulary consisting simply of _"quanty
costy"_ and _"troppo"_ cannot be seriously considered much more than a
smattering. Fortunately she made no test of his linguistic attainment,
but returned to her former subject.

"Ah, yes, all the worl' to-day know' the new class of American," she
said--"_your_ class. Many year' ago we have another class which Europe
didn' like. That was when the American was ter-ri-ble! He was the--what
is that you call?--oh, yes; he 'make himself,' you say: that is it. My
frien', he was abominable! He brag'; he talk' through the nose; yes,
and he was niggardly, rich as he was! But you, you yo'ng men of the new
generation, you are gentlemen of the idleness; you are aristocrats, with
polish an' with culture. An'