For it was no other than the Count Girasole, and his eyes glowed with excitement and delight, and his hat was off and as far away from his head as possible, and a thousand emotions contended together for expression upon his swarthy and handsome countenance.  As soon as he could speak he poured forth a torrent of exclamations with amazing volubility, in the midst of which his keen black eyes scrutinized very closely the faces of the ladies, and finally turned an interrogative glance upon Hawbury, who sat on his horse regarding the new-comer with a certain mild surprise not unmingled with superciliousness.  Hawbury’s chin was in the air, his eyes rested languidly upon the stranger, and his left hand toyed with his left whisker.  He really meant no offense whatever.  He knew absolutely nothing about the stranger, and had not the slightest intention of giving offense.  It was simply a way he had.  It was merely the normal attitude of the English swell before he is introduced.  As it was, that first glance which Girasole threw at the English lord inspired him with the bitterest hate, which was destined to produce important results afterward.

Mrs. Willoughby was too good-natured and too wise to slight the Count in any way.  After introducing the two gentlemen she spoke a few more civil words, and then bowed him away.  But Girasole did not at all take the hint.  On the contrary, as the carriage started, he turned his horse and rode along with it on the side next Mrs. Willoughby.  Hawbury elevated his eyebrows, and stared for an instant, and then went on talking with Minnie.  And now Minnie showed much more animation than usual.  She was much agitated and excited by this sudden appearance of one whom she hoped to have got rid of, and talked rapidly, and laughed nervously, and was so terrified at the idea that Girasole was near that she was afraid to look at him, but directed all her attention to Hawbury.  It was a slight, and Girasole showed that he felt it; but Minnie could not help it.  After a time Girasole mastered his feelings, and began an animated conversation with Mrs. Willoughby in very broken English.  Girasole’s excitement at Minnie’s slight made him somewhat incoherent, his idioms were Italian rather than English, and his pronunciation was very bad; he also had a fashion of using an Italian word when he did not know the right English one, and so the consequence was that Mrs. Willoughby understood not much more than one-quarter of his remarks.

Mrs. Willoughby did not altogether enjoy this state of things, and so she determined to put an end to it by shortening her drive.  She therefore watched for an opportunity to do this so as not to make it seem too marked, and finally reached a place which was suitable.  Here the carriage was turned, when, just as it was half-way round, they noticed a horseman approaching.  It was Scone Dacres, who had been following them all the time, and who had not expected that the carriage would turn.  He was therefore