leeves
were very full and soft, and were gathered in closely at the wrist.
Another ribbon of the same shade, but much narrower, encircled her neck
and was tied at the left side in a small bow, and a similar ribbon
fastened the end of the prodigious plait which fell from under her straw
hat, round which was twined a wreath of hyacinths like that of Alma
Tadema's Pandora. A great Persian turquoise, her sole ornament, shaped
like a scarabeus and engraved with talismanic characters, fastened her
dress at the throat.

'Let us wait for Delfina,' she said, 'and then, what do you say to our
going as far as the gate of the Cybele? Would that suit you?'

She was full of delicate consideration for the convalescent Andrea was
still very pale and thin, which made his eyes look extraordinarily
large, the somewhat sensual expression of his mouth forming a singular
and not unattractive contrast to the upper part of his face.

'Yes,' he replied, 'and I am deeply grateful to you.' Then, after a
moment's hesitation--'Do you mind if I am rather silent this morning?'

'Why do you ask me that?'

'Because I feel as if I had lost my tongue and could find nothing to
say; and yet silence becomes burdensome and annoying if it is prolonged.
That is why I ask if, during our walk, you will allow me to be silent
and only listen to you.'

'Why, then, we will be silent together,' she said with a little smile.

She looked up towards the villa with evident impatience--'What a long
time Delfina is!'

'Was Francesca up when you came out?' asked Andrea.

'Oh no, she is incredibly lazy--ah, there is Delfina, do you see her?'

The little girl came hurrying down, followed by her governess. Though
not visible on the flight of steps, she appeared upon the terraces which
she traversed at a run, her hair floating over her shoulders in the
breeze from under a broad-brimmed straw hat wreathed with poppies. On
the last step she opened her arms wide to her mother and covered her
face with kisses. After this she said--'Good morning, Andrea,' and
presented her forehead to his kiss with childlike and adorable grace.

She was a fragile creature, highly strung and vibrating as an instrument
fashioned of sentient material, her flesh so delicately transparent as
to seem incapable of concealing or even veiling the radiance of the
spirit that dwelt within it like a flame in a precious lamp.

'Heart's dearest!' murmured her mother, gazing at her with a look in
whi