the two comely figures, with
a newly acquired intelligence of observation. Presently he coughed
discreetly, and asked, with a great effort at being merely
conversational: "Did it ever strike you, Polly, that young Daymond was
getting--er--attentive?"

Pauline, too, had followed them with a look of affectionate goodwill,
which deepened to a very sweet and wistful smile, as she answered: "Yes,
Uncle Dan; I think he likes May. How could he help it?"

"Now that's odd," the Colonel exclaimed. "Do you know, I had never
thought of such a thing. It was the Signora that put it into my head."

"And you are glad, are you not, Uncle Dan? You would like to have it
happen?"

"Yes, yes; of course,--for his mother's sake."

Pauline was still watching May and her companion. They had walked on,
easily distinguishable in the crowd by reason of their height, and now
they were standing a little apart, near the base of the _campanile_, in
the full light of the illumination. May was talking, her skirts and
ribbons fluttering in the breeze. Geof stood beside her listening, his
head bent slightly, with a certain chivalry of bearing which was
characteristic of him. The wind made no more impression upon his firm,
close-reefed figure, than upon the mighty shaft of the great bell-tower.

"I wish it for his own sake, Uncle Dan," Pauline said. "I do not know
any one I should be more willing to trust."

"You don't say so! Well, he's his mother's son, and that is half the
battle."

"Yes," Pauline admitted; "that is the way I felt too, at first. But now
I know him better it is for himself I like him. He is so strong, and
steady, and--good evening, Mr. Kenwick!"

"Ah, good evening! I was sure that unless you had blown away in the
course of the day, I should find you in these classic precincts. No,
thanks; I've had my coffee, or something answering remotely to that
description. What has become of your sister, Miss Beverly? She is
getting as chary of herself as an Italian pronoun."

"She was here a moment ago," Pauline replied; "she has gone with Mr.
Daymond to pay her respects to the moon."

"Really," said Kenwick, with a hint of annoyance in his manner, to
conceal which he continued talking volubly. "Now, I should have thought
you would have been the one to go moon-gazing. I should not have
associated your sister with the pale and melancholy orb."

"You are very penetrating, Mr. Kenwick. But I don't think you would find
the moon especiall