ass. "Signorina," he said, "may you find the American who _has_ the
time."

Involuntarily her glance went toward John. Allegro saw it and laughed.
"Ah, ha! So that is why we have no chance? Still," he added on second
thought, "your choice does you credit."

"He is not my choice, he is my friend. You don't understand! At home a
girl has men friends exactly as she has girl friends. I wonder how I can
make it clear to you--we are all like a big family. They might as well
be my brothers, many of the men I know; there is not a bit of sentiment
in our liking for each other."

"There is no sentiment between you and the man over there?" Allegro
twisted the blond down on his upper lip, laughing at her out of the
corners of his eyes. "I may be little more than a boy, signorina, but
there is one thing that I know quite well when I see it, and that is a
person who is in love. Human nature is the same all over the world. Your
American men can, after all, have only the same emotions that we have
over here. It is as plain as the dome on St. Peter's--you may see it
from every direction. That man over there is in love with you! _Ecco!_"

"He is nothing of the sort! You Italians are mad on the subject. I told
you you could not understand. You are different, that is all."

Allegro shrugged his shoulders. "As you please! I tell you he is! And
what is more, you are in love with him. After all"--he put up his hand
to ward off interruption--"I had much rather think you declined my own
suit because your affections were already given before I was so unhappy
as to see you, than that, while your heart was still free, you would
not consider me."

Nina was so surprised that for a few minutes she was unable to answer.
Allegro had never said a word to her about the proposal which had been
made by his family. Up to that moment she had thought he did not himself
know of it.

"Heart?" she said, bewildered. "Did you put any heart into the offer
that was made? None has ever been shown to me."

"Is there a chance of your considering my suit?" He asked it very
seriously.

Nina shook her head, and Allegro sighed as though dejected; then, having
paid her this compliment, he became cheerful again and his candor was as
delicious as it was astonishing.

"Shall I tell you? Yes, I will! If you had said 'yes,' I should have
found it very easy to love you. As you won't accept my name,
however----"

"You don't love me, is that it?" Nina burst out laughi