ks? Yes,
I know. Long way go--go long way. Sir William Franks."

The cabman spattered his few words of English. Aaron gave the porter an
English shilling. The porter let the coin lie in the middle of his palm,
as if it were a live beetle, and darted to the light of the carriage to
examine the beast, exclaiming volubly. The cabman, wild with interest,
peered down from the box into the palm of the porter, and carried on an
impassioned dialogue. Aaron stood with one foot on the step.

"What you give--he? One franc?" asked the driver.

"A shilling," said Aaron.

"One sheeling. Yes. I know that. One sheeling English"--and the driver
went off into impassioned exclamations in Torinese. The porter, still
muttering and holding his hand as if the coin might sting him, filtered
away.

"Orright. He know--sheeling--orright. English moneys, eh? Yes, he know.
You get up, sir."

And away went Aaron, under the hood of the carriage, clattering down the
wide darkness of Novara, over a bridge apparently, past huge rain-wet
statues, and through more rainy, half-lit streets.

They stopped at last outside a sort of park wall with trees above. The
big gates were just beyond.

"Sir William Franks--there." In a mixture of Italian and English the
driver told Aaron to get down and ring the bell on the right. Aaron got
down and in the darkness was able to read the name on the plate.

"How much?" said Aaron to the driver.

"Ten franc," said the fat driver.

But it was his turn now to screw down and scrutinise the pink
ten-shilling note. He waved it in his hand.

"Not good, eh? Not good moneys?"

"Yes," said Aaron, rather indignantly. "Good English money. Ten
shillings. Better than ten francs, a good deal. Better--better--"

"Good--you say? Ten sheeling--" The driver muttered and muttered, as
if dissatisfied. But as a matter of fact he stowed the note in his
waistcoat pocket with considerable satisfaction, looked at Aaron
curiously, and drove away.

Aaron stood there in the dark outside the big gates, and wished himself
somewhere else. However, he rang the bell. There was a huge barking
of dogs on the other side. Presently a light switched on, and a woman,
followed by a man, appeared cautiously, in the half-opened doorway.

"Sir William Franks?" said Aaron.

"Si, signore."

And Aaron stepped with his two bags inside the gate. Huge dogs jumped
round. He stood in the darkness under the trees at the foot of the
park. The woman fa