p. It is a dreadful story, Peppino."

"Yes; and I am fortunate because I also meet the bad woman."

"Was Alfio's widow a friend of yours?"

"No; I meet her in London."

"I'm glad she did not stab you."

"Not the widow--some other woman."

"I don't quite understand."

"It is difficult to understand--difficult to be sure when it is the bad
woman. The bad woman is like mosquitoes--not wanted but would not go
away."

"Tell me what happened."

"When I was in London, I was at this place where is the--please, what is
campo? No, not campo, but where is the beast with the horn in the
head--the cervo?"

"Ah! yes, the deer. You mean the Zoological Gardens."

"No, no. This place where is the villa with the red palazzo and the
chief labours of painting and beds and chinesy images are over the place
where is coming the fire in the winter-time, and on the wall is also the
armatura and the deer it is in the trees on the side of the river."

"I believe you mean Hampton Court."

"Yes, and was telling to the lady--she was a very kind lady--"

"But please, what lady? Alfio's widow was not at Hampton Court?"

"She was the wife of the plumber."

"I am afraid I am very stupid, Peppino, but I don't seem to get hold of
it. Who is the plumber?"

"I meet him at Margate; also his lady, his wife; they invite me to their
house; I accept their invitation."

"But Margate is not Hampton Court."

"No, they inhabit Hampton Court; they go to Margate for the
villeggiatura, for the--how do you say?--for the baths of the sea."

"Oh, now I understand. You met them at Margate and they invited you to
call on them at their house at Hampton Court."

"Of course, yes. And when I arrive, the husband, the plumber, he went
away with his tools for his work in a sack, and his lady she says to me,
'Please sit down.' And we talk together. She was a very kind lady. And
presently--she was on the sofa by the window and I was in a chair by the
fire--presently her husband return. I was like a fish not in his water,
but oh! it was my salvation. Why must he be leaving us together? She
was a very kind lady. And then to be returning without noise, so soon
and so sudden. Do you think--?"

I did not know. It looked rather like it, but the psychology of the
Hampton Court plumber resembles the Italian music of the early part of
last century in that it is but little studied among us. So I
congratulated him on his escape, and inquired wheth