their presence. And when Milbanke, murmuring an excuse,
departed to see after their rooms, she turned again towards the canal
that she had just left; and, leaning over the balustrade of the
terrace, paused for a moment to study the picture afresh.

But as she stood there, unconscious of everything but the wonderful,
noiseless pageant passing ceaselessly through the purple twilight, more
than one glance strayed in her own direction. And two at least among
the hotel visitors changed their lounging attitudes for the purpose of
observing her more closely.

The two--both men--were simultaneously and noticeably attracted. The
elder, who, by his extremely fastidious and studied appearance, might
almost have belonged to another and earlier era than our own, was a man
of nearly seventy; the younger was his junior by forty-five years.
But--so levelling a thing is spontaneous admiration--the expression
upon the two faces, as they leant suddenly forward, was strikingly
similar.

The old man held a gold-rimmed eyeglass close to his eye; the younger
meditatively removed his cigarette from his mouth. But at this critical
moment of their close observation, Milbanke reappeared, and, moving
stiffly across the terrace, touched Clodagh's arm.

"My dear," he said, "our rooms are ready. If you will go upstairs, I
will find Barnard. I will not dress for dinner to-night. It is after
seven o'clock."

Clodagh turned, her face glowing with the enthusiasm that filled her
mind.

"All right!" she said. "But I think I'll just change into something
cool. It won't take ten minutes."

Without waiting for his assent, she turned quickly and Walked across
the terrace to the vestibule of the hotel.

As she passed the two men in the lounge chairs, the elder again lifted
his eyeglass; while the younger, leaning forward, stared at her with
that superb lack of embarrassment or reserve that the young Englishman
can at times assume.

"By Jove!" he said very softly, as the two new arrivals disappeared
into the hotel.

His companion turned to him with a thin laugh that belied his carefully
preserved appearance.

"Attractive--eh?" he said.

The other replaced his cigarette in his mouth.

"What nationality is she?" he asked after a moment's pause. "I'd feel
inclined to say Italian myself, but the old father's so
uncompromisingly Saxon."

Again the older man laughed--a laugh that expressed unfathomable
worldly wisdom.

"Father!" he said satirica