m.
Marietta declared, blasphemously, as the others thought, that she
preferred a simple grey stone villa or at most one of pink stucco, to all
the golden edifices that Paradise contained.

It was by now fifteen minutes past four, and a spectator had arrived,
though none of the five were aware of his presence. The spectator was
standing on the wall above the garden border examining with appreciation
the idyllic scene below him, and with most particular appreciation, the
dainty white-clad person of the girl on the balustrade. He was
wondering--anxiously--how he might make his presence known. For no very
tangible reason he had suddenly become conscious that the matter would be
easier if he carried in his pocket a letter of introduction. The purlieus
of Villa Rosa in no wise resembled a desert island; and in the face of
that very fluent Italian, the suspicion was forcing itself upon him that,
after all, the mere fact of a common country was not a sufficient bond of
union. He had definitely decided to withdraw, when the matter was taken
from his hands.

The wall--as Gustavo had pointed out--was broken; it was owing to this
fact that he had been so easily able to climb it. Now, as he stealthily
turned, preparing to re-descend in the direction whence he had come, the
loose stone beneath his foot slipped and he slipped with it. Five
startled pairs of eyes were turned in his direction. What they saw, was a
young man in flannels suddenly throw up his arms, slide into an azalea
bush, from this to the balustrade, and finally land on all fours on the
narrow strip of beach, a shower of pink petals and crumbling masonry
falling about him. A momentary silence followed; then the washer-girls,
making sure that he was not injured, broke into a shrill chorus of
laughter, while the _Farfalla_ rocked under impact of Giuseppe's mirth.
The girl on the wall alone remained grave.

The young man picked himself up, restored his guide-book to his pocket,
and blushingly stepped forward, hat in hand, to make an apology. One knee
bore a splash of mud, and his tumbled hair was sprinkled with azalea
blossoms.

'I beg your pardon,' he stammered, 'I didn't mean to come so suddenly;
I'm afraid I broke your wall.'

The girl dismissed the matter with a polite gesture.

'It was already broken,' and then she waited with an air of grave
attention until he should state his errand.

'I--I came----' He paused and glanced about vaguely; he could not at the