a hope of change and society. She had
been a little surprised that Paul should
have given him the address. But Paul
had himself explained that. It was old
Florentine acquaintances whom Sir John
wished to shun. This man being a stranger
in Tuscany might have the entrée to Villa
Chiari. Doubtless Paul knew what he
was about. If Sir John knew that Barletti
was Veronica's cousin would it make any
difference in his reception of him? She
mused upon the question until she reached
the villa. It was quite evening. The sun
had set behind the hills; but there was still
a brightness in the sky. "Miladi" hastened
to her own room to dress for dinner. She
made a gorgeous toilet every day; finding
a great deal of real pleasure in her fine
clothes. The suspicion that this was a
pleasure which some other person in her
presence genuinely disdained, would have
much embittered her delight in the rich
silks and gay jewels and fine lace. But
such a mortification never befel her in Sir
John Gale's company.

At dinner they talked of Cesare de' Barletti.

"Paul has told you, of course," said
Veronica, "about the man who spoke to him,
and afterwards to me?"

"Oh yes—Barletti. Ah—yes: I knew
him at Naples. Wonder what brings him
here!"

"He said he would call."

"Not a doubt of it! He likes a good
dinner and good wine; and he never gets
either at his own expense."

"I should suppose that the Principe
de' Barletti does not need to come to his
acquaintances for food!" said Veronica.

Sir John burst into a grating laugh.
"Bah!" he cried, "you are impayable
with your Principe de' Barletti! The real
prince and head of the family is poor
enough. He lives nine months of every
year in the third floor of a mangy palazzo
at Torre del Greco, in order to scrape
together enough to spend the other three
months in Paris. But this fellow is only
dei principi—a younger son of a younger
son. He has twopence a year, which he
spends on shiny boots (I dare say he blacks
them himself) and cheap gloves. But he
plays a good game of picquet; and I found
it worth while to let him come nearly every
evening when I was once laid by the heels
—or the toe, rather, for I got a confounded
fit of the gout—in a beastly hotel
at Naples. Of course he was very glad.
It paid him capitally!"

Veronica's temper was chafed by this
slighting mention of a Barletti. It vexed
her. She knew that Sir John's coarse
insolence was directed against this man
in utter ignorance of the fact that he was
in any degree connected with herself. Still
it vexed her. But she had no intention
of incurring the risk of ridicule for the
sake of championing her newly-found
relation. She had been considerably elated
by the thought of being cousin to a prince:
and proportionally depressed by the
discovery that to be dei Principi Barletti was
no guarantee of important position.

"Then you mean this man to come
here?" asked Veronica.

"Mean him to come? Yes; if he makes
himself amusing. If not, I shall give him
his congé."

"If you feel that you want amusement
why do you not go into Florence some-
times?"

"La bella idea! Go to Florence for
amusement in June! There's nobody there;
and if there were, it's much too hot to do
anything. Besides—no, no; we must get
through the summer here as best we can.
The dry heat suits me rather: especially
on this hill where one gets plenty of air,
even if it be hot air. In the autumn and
winter we will move south. Meanwhile if
Barletti drops in our way, so be it."

"Nobody in Florence?" replied Veronica,
whose mind had been dwelling on
those words. "It seemed to me that there
were a great many carriages——"

"You did not go to the Cascine?"
interrupted Sir John, quickly.

"No: I was too late. But I saw the
people driving along the Lung' Arno."

She perfectly understood from Sir John's
manner that he had given orders to Paul
not to take her to the Cascine, and that he
had felt a momentary suspicion that his
orders had been disobeyed. The question
presented itself to her mind, what would
have been the result if Paul had yielded to
her desire? But when she retired to her
own apartment—which she did early—she
lay awake for some time, occupying herself
exclusively with another and very different
problem: namely, which of her dresses she
should put on to-morrow evening when
Cesare de' Barletti might be expected to
make his appearance at Villa Chiari.

CHAPTER IV. IN THE GARDEN.

"I WAS so delightfully astonished!"

"At seeing Paul? He does not usually
produce ecstasy in the beholder. But