is Leithcourt, and they've asked me to drive you
over there to tennis this afternoon."

"I'm not much of a player, you know, aunt. In Italy we don't believe in
athletics. But if it's out of politeness, of course, I'll go."

"Very well," she said. "Then I'll order the victoria for three."

"There are several nice girls there, Gordon," remarked my uncle
mischievously. "You have a good time, so don't think you are going to be
bored."

"No fear of that," was my answer. And at three o'clock Sir George, his
wife, and myself set out for that fine old historic castle that stands
high on the Bognie, overlooking the Cairn waters beyond Dunscore, one of
the strongholds of the Black Douglas in those turbulent days of long
ago, and now a splendid old residence with a big shoot which was
sometimes let for the season at a very high rent by its aristocratic if
somewhat impecunious owner.

We could see its great round towers, standing grim and gray on the
hillside commanding the whole of the valley, long before we approached
it, and when we drove into the grounds we found a gay party in summer
toilettes assembled on the ancient bowling-green, now transformed into a
modern tennis-lawn.

Mrs. Leithcourt and her husband, a tall, thin, gray-headed, well-dressed
man, both came forward to greet us, and after a few introductions I
joined a set at tennis. They were a merry crowd. The Leithcourts were
entertaining a large house-party, and their hospitality was on a scale
quite in keeping with the fine old place they rented.

Tea was served on the lawn by the footmen, and afterwards, being tired
of the game, I found myself strolling with Muriel Leithcourt, a bright,
dark-eyed girl with tightly-bound hair, and wearing a cotton blouse and
flannel tennis skirt.

I was apologizing for my terribly bad play, explaining that I had no
practice out in Italy, whereupon she said--

"I know Italy slightly. I was in Florence and Naples with mother last
season."

And then we began to discuss pictures and sculptures and the sights of
Italy generally. I discerned from her remarks that she had traveled
widely; indeed, she told me that both her father and mother were never
happier than when moving from place to place in search of variety and
distraction. We had entered the huge paneled hall of the Castle, and had
passed up the quaint old stone staircase to the long banqueting hall
with its paneled oak ceiling, which in these modern days had been
tran