'Won't you sit down?' She moved sedately to one side of the bench.
He settled himself at once, fanning himself with his hat, and looking at her discreetly.
'You're American, aren't you? You don't mind my asking you?'
'Not in the least. Yes; it's my first time in Europe.'
'Well, Italy's not bad; is it? Nice place, Rome, anyway. Aren't you rather knocked over by it? I was when I first came.'
'I've only been here four days.
'And of course nobody here has time to take you about. I can guess that!
How's the book getting on?'
'I don't know,' she said, opening her eyes wide in a smile that would not be repressed, a smile that broke like light in her grave face.
Her companion looked at her with approval.
'My word! she's dowdy'—he thought—'like a Sunday-school teacher. But she's handsome.'