Miss Abbott, exclaiming again and again
that Caroline's visit was one of the most fortunate coincidences in the
world. Caroline did not contradict her.

"You see him tomorrow at ten, Philip. Well, don't forget the blank
cheque. Say an hour for the business. No, Italians are so slow; say two.
Twelve o'clock. Lunch. Well--then it's no good going till the evening
train. I can manage the baby as far as Florence--"

"My dear sister, you can't run on like that. You don't buy a pair of
gloves in two hours, much less a baby."

"Three hours, then, or four; or make him learn English ways. At Florence
we get a nurse--"

"But, Harriet," said Miss Abbott, "what if at first he was to refuse?"

"I don't know the meaning of the word," said Harriet impressively. "I've
told the landlady that Philip and I only want our rooms one night, and
we shall keep to it."

"I dare say it will be all right. But, as I told you, I thought the man
I met on the Rocca a strange, difficult man."

"He's insolent to ladies, we know. But my brother can be trusted to
bring him to his senses. That woman, Philip, whom you saw will carry the
baby to the hotel. Of course you must tip her for it. And try, if you
can, to get poor Lilia's silver bangles. They were nice quiet things,
and will do for Irma. And there is an inlaid box I lent her--lent, not
gave--to keep her handkerchiefs in. It's of no real value; but this is
our only chance. Don't ask for it; but if you see it lying about, just
say--"

"No, Harriet; I'll try for the baby, but for nothing else. I promise
to do that tomorrow, and to do it in the way you wish. But tonight, as
we're all tired, we want a change of topic. We want relaxation. We want
to go to the theatre."

"Theatres here? And at such a moment?"

"We should hardly enjoy it, with the great interview impending," said
Miss Abbott, with an anxious glance at Philip.

He did not betray her, but said, "Don't you think it's better than
sitting in all the evening and getting nervous?"

His sister shook her head. "Mother wouldn't like it. It would be most
unsuitable--almost irreverent. Besides all that, foreign theatres
are notorious. Don't you remember those letters in the 'Church Family
Newspaper'?"

"But this is an opera--'Lucia di Lammermoor'--Sir Walter
Scott--classical, you know."

Harriet's face grew resigned. "Certainly one has so few opportunities
of hearing music. It is sure to be very bad. But it might be better than
sitti