"I haven't forgotten," said Irma. "I thought you were very brave."
"Brave!" Marion colored. "I should think you'd call me a regular duffer when you remember what a fool I made of myself getting on board the Ariadne at St. Michael's. I can tell you I felt awfully ashamed to think that a girl had saved me from a tumble into the water. I haven't forgotten what I owe you, though I haven't been able to get even yet."
"Oh, yes, you have. You saw that I wasn't any too brave the night I thought we were going to sink."
"Ah, that was natural. For you know we had barely escaped collision with a man of war. But what's this?"
While talking, Irma had opened a small package, and Marion, fumbling with things on the table, had come across the piece of green marble from Hadrian's villa.
For a moment Irma hesitated, then she plunged into the story of the way she had missed the train that memorable afternoon.
"Aha!" exclaimed Marion, "and you were the girl who disapproved of my buying that tile from the Sistine Chapel." Then he started as if to go into the house. "Excuse me," he said. "I'll be back in a minute."
When Marion returned he had the octagonal tile in his hand. "Fair exchange is always a good thing," he said, "and if you will take this, I would like to have the Hadrian marble. It will be a good reminder to me of something I can't explain just now."