note was tied to the stems; his
fingers trembled as he worked with the knot.

"_Caro Antonio mio_," it commenced; he could read that. "_La sua
Costantina_," it ended; he could read that. But between the two was an
elusive, tantalizing hiatus. He studied it and put it in his pocket and
took it out and studied it again. He was still puzzling over it half an
hour later when Gustavo came to inquire if the signore had need of
anything.

Had he need of anything! He sent Gustavo flying to the stationer's in
search of an Italian-English dictionary.

* * * * *

It was four o'clock in the afternoon and all the world--except
Constance--was taking a siesta. The _Farfalla_, anchored at the foot of
the water steps in a blaze of sunshine, was dipping up and down in drowsy
harmony with the lapping waves; she was for the moment abandoned,
Giuseppe being engaged with a nap in the shade of the cypress trees at
the end of the drive. He was so very engaged that he did not hear the
sound of an approaching carriage, until the horse was pulled to a sudden
halt to avoid stepping on him. Giuseppe staggered sleepily to his feet
and rubbed his eyes. He saw a gentleman descend, a gentleman clothed as
for a wedding, in a frock coat and a white waistcoat, in shining hat and
pearl gray gloves and a boutonniere of oleander. Having paid the driver
and dismissed the carriage, the gentleman fumbled in his pocket for his
card-case. Giuseppe hurrying forward with a polite bow, stopped suddenly
and blinked. He fancied that he must still be dreaming; he rubbed his
eyes and stared again, but he found the second inspection more
confounding than the first. The gentleman looked back imperturbably, no
slightest shade of recognition in his glance, unless a gleam of amusement
far, far down in the depths of his eye might be termed recognition. He
extracted a card with grave deliberation and handed it to his companion.

"_Voglio vedere la Signorina Costantina_," he remarked.

The tone, the foreign accent, were both reminiscent of many a friendly
though halting conversation. Giuseppe stared again, appealingly, but the
gentleman did not help him out; on the contrary he repeated his request
in a slightly sharpened tone.

"_Si, signore_," Giuseppe stammered. "_Prego di verire. La signorina e
nel giardino._"

He started ahead toward the garden, looking behind at every third step to
make sure that the gentleman was still following, th