The man bowed with a gesture which made her free of the book, but he continued his silence. Constance glanced at him again, and this time she allowed a flash of recognition to appear in her face.

“The man bowed with a gesture which made her free of the book”

“Oh!” she re-exclaimed with a note of interested politeness, “you are the young man who stumbled into Villa Rosa last Monday looking for the garden of the prince?”

He bowed a second time, an answering flash appearing in his face.

“And you are the young woman who was sitting on the wall beside a row of—of—“

“Stockings?” She nodded. “I trust you found the prince’s garden without difficulty?”

“Yes, thank you. Your directions were very explicit.”

A slight pause followed, the young man waiting deferentially for her to take the lead.