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 comprehensible English. He’s engaged for to-morrow, but after that I dare say he’ll be free. Gustavo can tell you about him.’
She nodded and smiled and turned down the arbour.
The young man stood where she left him, with folded arms, watching her pink gown as it receded down the long sun-flecked alley hung with purple and green. He waited until it had been swallowed up in the yellow doorway; then he fetched a deep breath and strolled to the water-wall. After a few moments’ prophetic contemplation of the mountain across the lake, he threw back his head with a quick amused laugh, and got out a cigarette and lighted it.
CHAPTER IX
As Constance emerged at the other end of the arbour, Gustavo, who had been nodding on the bench beside the door, sprang to his feet, consternation in his attitude.
‘Signorina!’ he stammered. ‘You come from ze garden?’
She nodded in her usual off-hand manner and handed him the basket.
‘Eggs, Gustavo—two dozen if you can spare them. I am sorry always to be wanting so many, but’—she sighed—‘eggs are so breakable!’