d had been drawn through one of the diamond-shaped apertures of
the green trellis-work, which proved how small a hand it was. And, so
far as the young Scot could judge from various contributory movements on
the lady's part, it was at that moment being passionately kissed by some
person unseen.

The low voice he had heard also proceeded from this fervent lover, and
the whole performance made Rollo most unreasonably angry.

"What fools!" he muttered, turning on his heel, adding as an
afterthought, "and especially at this time of day."

He was walking off in high dudgeon, prepared to give the silent maid a
piece of his mind--indeed, a sample most unpleasing, when something in
the tone of the lover's voice attracted him.

"Fairest Maria, never have I loved before," the voice was saying. "I
have wandered the world heretofore, careless and heart-free, that I
might have the more to offer to you, the pearl of girls, the all
incomparable Maria of Sarria!"

The fair hand thrust through the lattices was violently agitated at this
point. Its owner had caught sight of Rollo standing on the pathway, but
the lover's grasp was too firm. As Rollo looked a head was thrust
forward and downwards--as it were into the picture. And there, kneeling
on the path, was Monsieur Etienne, lately Brother Hilario of Montblanch,
fervidly kissing the hand of reluctant beauty.

As Rollo, unwilling to intrude, but secretly resolving to give Master
Lovelace no peace for some time, was turning away, a sharp exclamation
from the girl caused the kneeling lover to look up. She snatched her
hand through the interstices of the palisades on the instant, fled
upward through the rose and fuchsia bushes with a swift rustle of
skirts, and disappeared into a neighbouring house.

Etienne de Saint Pierre rose in a leisurely manner, dusted the knees of
his riding-breeches, twirled his moustache, and looked at Rollo, who
stood on the path regarding him.

"Well, what in the devil's name brings you here?" he demanded.

The mirthful mood in which he had watched his comrade kneel was already
past with Rollo.

"Come outside, and I will tell you," he said, and without making any
further explanation or asking for any from Etienne, he strode back
through the courtyard of the venta and out into the sunlit road.

A muleteer was passing, sitting sideways on his beast's back as on an
easy-chair, and as he went by he offered the two young men to drink out
of a leathern go