hink of no
expedient. The spotted calf came to his rescue. The calf had been
watching them from the first, very much interested in the visitor; and
now, as she approached his tree, he stretched out his neck as far as the
tether permitted and sniffed insistently. She paused and patted him on
the head. The calf acknowledged the caress with a grateful _moo_; there
was a plaintive light in his liquid eyes.

'Poor thing--he's lonely!' She turned to the young man and spoke with an
accent of reproach. 'The four guests of the Hotel du Lac don't show him
enough attention.'

The young man shrugged.

'We're tired of calves. It's only a matter of a day or so before he'll be
breaded and fried and served Milanese fashion with a sauce of tomato and
garlic.'

Constance shook her head sympathetically; though whether her sympathy was
for the calf or the partakers of table d'hote was not quite clear.

'I know,' she agreed. 'I've been a guest at the Hotel du Lac myself--it's
a tragedy to be born a calf in Italy!'

She nodded and turned; it was evident this time that she was really
going. He took a hasty step forward.

'Oh, I say, please don't go! Stay and talk to me--just a little while.
That calf isn't half so lonely as I am.'

'I should like to, but really I mustn't. Elizabetta is waiting for me to
bring her some eggs. We are planning a trip up the Maggiore to-morrow,
and we have to have a cake to take with us. Elizabetta made one this
morning, but she forgot to put in the baking powder. Italian cooks are
not used to making cakes; they are much better at'--her eyes fell on the
calf--'veal and such things.'

He folded his arms with an air of desperation.

'I'm an American--one of your own countrymen; if you had a grain of
charity in your nature you would let the cake go.'

She shook her head relentlessly.

'Five days at Valedolmo! You would not believe the straits I've been
driven to in search of amusement.'

'Yes?' There was a touch of curiosity in her tone. 'What for example?'

'I am teaching Gustavo how to play tennis.'

'Oh!' she said. 'How does he do?'

'Broken three windows and a flower-pot and lost four balls.'

She laughed and turned away; and then as an idea occurred to her, she
turned back and fixed her eyes sympathetically on his face.

'I suppose Valedolmo is stupid for a man; but why don't you try
mountain-climbing? Everybody finds that diverting. There's a guide here
who speaks English--really comprehe