have known he was not a common mortal.  There is something strange about him.  To begin with, he has no manners.  You may say that it ’s not for me to blame him, for I have none myself.  That ’s very true, but the difference is that I can have them when I wish to (and very charming ones too; I ’ll show you some day); whereas Mr. Hudson will never have them.  And yet, somehow, one sees he ’s a gentleman.  He seems to have something urging, driving, pushing him, making him restless and defiant.  You see it in his eyes.  They are the finest, by the way, I ever saw.  When a person has such eyes as that you can forgive him his bad manners.  I suppose that is what they call the sacred fire.”

Rowland made no answer except to ask her in a moment if she would have another roll.  She merely shook her head and went on:—­

“Tell me how you found him.  Where was he—­how was he?”

“He was in a place called Northampton.  Did you ever hear of it?  He was studying law—­but not learning it.”

“It appears it was something horrible, eh?”

“Something horrible?”

“This little village.  No society, no pleasures, no beauty, no life.”

“You have received a false impression.  Northampton is not as gay as Rome, but Roderick had some charming friends.”

“Tell me about them.  Who were they?”

“Well, there was my cousin, through whom I made his acquaintance:  a delightful woman.”

“Young—­pretty?”

“Yes, a good deal of both.  And very clever.”

“Did he make love to her?”

“Not in the least.”

“Well, who else?”

“He lived with his mother.  She is the best of women.”

“Ah yes, I know all that one’s mother is.  But she does not count as society.  And who else?”

Rowland hesitated.  He wondered whether Christina’s insistence was the result of a general interest in Roderick’s antecedents or of a particular suspicion.  He looked at her; she was looking at him a little askance, waiting for his answer.  As Roderick had said nothing about his engagement to the Cavaliere, it was probable that with this beautiful girl he had not been more explicit.  And yet the thing was announced, it was public; that other girl was happy in it, proud of it.  Rowland felt a kind of dumb anger rising in his heart.  He deliberated a moment intently.

“What are you frowning at?” Christina asked.

“There was another person,” he answered, “the most important of all:  the young girl to whom he is engaged.”

Christina stared a moment, raising her eyebrows.  “Ah, Mr. Hudson is engaged?” she said, very simply.  “Is she pretty?”

“She is not called a beauty,” said Rowland.  He meant to practice great brevity, but in a moment he added, “I have seen beauties, however, who pleased me less.”

“Ah, she pleases you, too?  Why don’t they marry?”

“Roderick is waiting till he can afford to marry.”