d all over Europe. He
works for Europe and America--all civilized people--to be one country.
He is the comrade of his boys. Out of school hours, it is Christian
names all round--Matthew, Emile, Adolf, Emilio, Giulio, Robert, Marcel,
Franz, et caetera. Games or lessons, a boy can't help learning with him.
He makes happy fellows and brave soldiers of them without drill. Sir, do
I presume when I say I have your excuse for addressing you because you
are his countryman? I drive to the old school in half an hour, and next
week he and his dear wife and a good half of the boys will be on the
tramp over the Simplon, by Lago Maggiore, to my uncle's house in Milan
for a halt. I go to Matthew before I see my own people.'

He swept another bow of apology, chiefly to Philippa, as representative
of the sex claiming homage.

Lord Ormont had not greatly relished certain of the flowery phrases
employed by this young foreigner. 'Truth his bride,' was damnable:
and if a story had to be told, he liked it plain, without jerks
and evolutions. Many offences to our taste have to be overlooked in
foreigners--Italians! considered, before they were proved in fire, a
people classed by nature as operatic declaimers. Bobby had shown himself
on the road out to Bern a difficult boy, and stupefyingly ignorant. My
lord had two or three ideas working to cloudy combination in his head
when he put a question, referring to the management of the dormitories
at the school. Whereupon the young Italian introduced himself as Giulio
Calliani, and proposed a drive to inspect the old school, with its
cricket and football fields, lake for rowing and swimming, gymnastic
fixtures, carpenter's shed, bowling alley, and four European languages
in the air by turns daily; and the boys, too, all the boys rosy and
jolly, according to the last report received of them from his friend
Matthew. Enthusiasm struck and tightened the loose chord of scepticism
in Lord Ormont; somewhat as if a dancing beggar had entered a
kennel-dog's yard, designing to fascinate the faithful beast. It is a
chord of one note, that is tightened to sound by the violent summons
to accept, which is a provocation to deny. At the same time, the
enthusiast's dance is rather funny; he is not an ordinary beggar; to see
him trip himself in his dance would be rather funnier. This is to say,
inspect the trumpeted school and retire politely. My lord knew the Bern
of frequent visits: the woman was needed beside him