" said Ciccio in French.

"Assez eloigne!" replied Gigi. Ciccio also glanced along the
corridor.

"Yes," he said. "But an open course--"

"Look, my boy--if you could marry _this_--" meaning the house.

"Ha, she doesn't know if it hers any more! Perhaps the debts cover
every bit of it."

"Don't say so! Na, that's a pity, that's a pity! La pauvre
fille--pauvre demoiselle!" lamented Geoffrey.

"Isn't it a pity! What dost say?"

"A thousand pities! A thousand pities! Look, my boy, love needs no
havings, but marriage does. Love is for all, even the grasshoppers.
But marriage means a kitchen. That's how it is. La pauvre
demoiselle; c'est malheur pour elle."

"That's true," said Ciccio. "Et aussi pour moi. For me as well."

"For thee as well, cher! Perhaps--" said Geoffrey, laying his arm on
Ciccio's shoulder, and giving him a sudden hug. They smiled to each
other.

"Who knows!" said Ciccio.

"Who knows, truly, my Cic'."

As they went downstairs to rejoin Alvina, whom they heard playing on
the piano in the drawing-room, Geoffrey peeped once more into the
big bedroom.

"Tu n'es jamais monte si haut, mon beau. Pour moi, ca serait
difficile de m'elever. J'aurais bien peur, moi. Tu te trouves aussi
un peu ebahi, hein? n'est-ce pas?"

"Y'a place pour trois," said Ciccio.

"Non, je creverais, la haut. Pas pour moi!"

And they went laughing downstairs.

Miss Pinnegar was sitting with Alvina, determined not to go to
Chapel this evening. She sat, rather hulked, reading a novel. Alvina
flirted with the two men, played the piano to them, and suggested a
game of cards.

"Oh, Alvina, you will never bring out the cards tonight!"
expostulated poor Miss Pinnegar.

"But, Miss Pinnegar, it can't possibly hurt anybody."

"You know what I think--and what your father thought--and your
mother and Miss Frost--"

"You see I think it's only prejudice," said Alvina.

"Oh very well!" said Miss Pinnegar angrily.

And closing her book, she rose and went to the other room.

Alvina brought out the cards, and a little box of pence which
remained from Endeavour harvests. At that moment there was a knock.
It was Mr. May. Miss Pinnegar brought him in, in triumph.

"Oh!" he said. "Company! I heard you'd come, Miss Houghton, so I
_hastened_ to pay my compliments. I didn't know you had _company_.
How do you do, Francesco! How do you do, Geoffrey. Comment
allez-vous, alors?"

"Bien!" said Geoffrey. "You are going to take a hand?