They talked a little with pauses in between their remarks. She did not ask him how long he was going to stay, but he explained his arrival. He had come to consult the malaria specialist.
"We have all been discussing Donna Laura Bartolini," said Mrs. Knolles. "You were dining with her?"
"Yes," he said, "she is an old friend of mine. I met her first at Cairo."
"Is she going to stay long?" asked Mrs. Knolles.
"No," he said, "she is only passing through on her way to Italy. She leaves for Ravenna to-morrow morning."
"She is looking beautiful," said Mrs. Knolles.
"Yes," he said, "she is very beautiful, isn't she?"
Then he got up.
"I hope we shall meet again to-morrow," he said to Kathleen and to Mrs. Knolles.
"Are you staying on?" asked Mrs. Knolles.