Miss Hazel settled herself to her knitting. She was making a rainbow shawl of seven colours and an intricate pattern, and she had to count her stitches; conversation was impossible. Constance, vaguely restless, picked up a book and laid it down, and finally sauntered out to the terrace with no thought in the world but to see the moon rise over the mountains.
As she approached the parapet she became aware that some one was lounging on the water-steps smoking a cigarette. The smoker rose politely but ventured no remark.
'Is that you, Giuseppe?' she asked in Italian.
'No, signorina. It is I--Tony. I am waiting for orders.'
'For orders!' There was astonishment as well as indignation in her tone. 'I thought I made it clear----'
'That I was discharged? Yes, signorina. But I have been so fortunate as to find another place. The Signor Papa has engage me. I go wif him; we climb all ze mountain around.' He waved his hand largely to comprise the whole landscape. 'I sink perhaps it is better so--for the Signor Papa and me to go alone. Mountain-climbing is too hard; zere is too much fatigue, signorina, for you.'
He bowed humbly and deferentially, and retired to the steps and his cigarette.
Half-past six on the following morning found Constance and her father rising from the breakfast table, and Tony turning in at the gate. Constance's nod of greeting was barely perceptible, and her father's eye contained a twinkle as he watched her. Tony studied her mountain-climbing costume with an air of concern.
'You go wif us, signorina?' His expression was blended of surprise and disapproval, but in spite of himself his tone was triumphant. 'You say to me yesterday you no want to climb any more mountain.'
'But zis mountain to-day too long, too high. You get tired, signorina. Perhaps anozzer day we take li'l' baby mountain, zen you can go.'
'It is not possible, signorina. I have not brought ze donk'.'
He sighed patiently. Then he looked up and caught her eye. They both laughed.
'Signorina,' he whispered, 'I ver' happy to-day. Zat Costantina she more kind. Yesterday ver' unkind; I go home ver' sad. But to-day I sink----'
'I sink after all maybe she like me li'l' bit.'
Giuseppe rowed the three climbers a mile or so down the lake and set them ashore at the base of their mountain. They started up gaily and had accomplished half their journey before they thought of being tired. Tony surpassed himself; if he had been entertaining the day before he was doubly so now. His spirits were bubbling over and contagious. He and Constance acted like two children out of school. They ran races and talked to the peasants in the wayside cottages. They drove a herd of goats for half a mile while the goatherd strolled behind and smoked Tony's cigarettes. Constance took a water-jar from a little girl they met coming from the fountain and endeavoured to balance it on her own head, with the result that she nearly drowned both herself and the child.