"Venus, the Star of Love," he said briefly, with no comment, but his voice emphasized the words.
Ragna turned and they walked to the Spanish Stairs. As they passed the Trinità del Monte a voice came out to them, a soprano voice marvellously clear and vibrant, the pure high notes almost startling in their passionate intensity.
"How beautiful!" said Ragna, and Mirko answered:
"But how sad! Think of a woman who can put that into her singing, eating her heart out in a cloister!"
As they descended the stairs Ragna looked up again at the white planet nearing the horizon, a whiter glow seemed to be overtaking the star, drowning it in a diffused effulgence.
"The moon is casting poor Venus in the shade."
"Ah, yes, she is wise to retire before the moon! Listen, Ragna, to-morrow the moon will be full,--you must give me the evening, we shall go to see the Colosseum by moonlight!"
"The evening? Oh, never! It would be impossible! It is bad enough for me to be out alone as late as this; Fru Bjork does not like it, I shall be scolded when I go in."
"You can manage it well enough, if you want to. Think of it! The Colosseum by moonlight--and there is no possible danger from malaria at this time of year."
"It would be lovely," she said wistfully, "but I don't see how I could--"
"Oh, easily! At dinner you say you have a headache and go to your room, and when all the people are in the drawing-room, you slip out quietly and I shall be waiting for you below."
"Tell the chambermaid you will give her a little present if she sits up for you."
"As certainly as she is an Italian; she will love to think she is making the way easy for a pair of _innamorati_."
"Of course," said Mirko, "we are not _innamorati_, we are friends,--but she would not understand the distinction," he smiled to himself, "and in any case how can it matter to you what she supposes?"
"I won't promise to come," declared Ragna; still the charm of such an escapade appealed to her romantic imagination--and after all, there was no real harm in it!
Mirko was satisfied and took advantage of the dusk to kiss her hand twice when he had put her in a "botte" in the Piazza di Spagna. The act had lost its significance to her since she had come to Italy and had seen how generally it was practised, but this evening the pressure of Mirko's lips sent a thrill through her fingers.