iers. From unseen quarters
floated Estelle's voice, saying, "_Ploo bah! Nong, ploo hoe!_"

Mrs. Hawthorne met him at the head of the stairs. The slight disorder of
her hair, usually so tidy, pointed to unusual exertions on her part,
also. Her face was flushed with excitement and, to judge by her
wreathing smiles, with happiness.

"I saw you coming," she greeted him. "_Riverisco! Beata Lei! Mamma
mia!_ And do you know how I saw you? Come here."

She led the way to the back, where the window-door stood open on to the
roof of the portico, which formed a terrace.

"See? I've had it glassed in for to-morrow night. We couldn't say we
hadn't plenty of rooms before, and plenty of room in them. That's just
the trouble: there aren't any nooks in this big, square house. So I've
made one. This is Flirtation Alcove. Here a loving couple can come to
cool off after dancing and look up at the stars together. Oh, it's going
to be so pretty! You can't tell anything about it as it looks now; I've
only got these few things in it. But the gardeners are going to bring
all sorts of tall plants and flowers in pots. Just wait till to-morrow
night!"

"You are very busy, I am afraid, Mrs. Hawthorne. I ought not to take
your time."

"Can't you sit down a minute?"

"I have come to ask a favor."

"I guess I can say it's granted even before you ask."

"I should like to retract my refusal of your very kind invitation for
to-morrow evening. I have explained to you my weak avoidance of crowds.
I have determined to overcome it in this case, and I want your
permission to bring a friend."

"That? How can you ask? Bring ten! Bring twenty! Bring as many as you've
got! As for coming yourself, I'm tickled to death that you've
reconsidered."

"It's not quite as simple as it seems, Mrs. Hawthorne. I shall have to
tell you more."

At her indication, he took the other half of the little dumpling sofa
which had seemed to her an appropriate piece of furniture for Flirtation
Alcove, and which, with a rug on the floor, formed so far its only
decoration. In the clear, bare morning light of outdoors, which bathed
them, she still looked triumphantly fresh, but he looked tired.

"It is Lieutenant Giglioli for whom I have come to beg an invitation.
You perhaps know whom I mean."

"Let me see. I can't tell. Quite a few officers have been introduced,
but I never can get their names."

"Hasn't Mrs. Foss or Leslie ever spoken of him?"

"Not so far as I ca