’She is highly educated, gentle-mannered, as sweetly soft as any English girl I ever met, and very pretty.  You have met her, I think.’

‘I do not remember that I have observed her.’

‘She is too young for me, perhaps,’ said Mr Glascock; ’but that is a fault on the right side.’  Sir Marmaduke, as he wiped his beard after his breakfast, remembered what his wife had told him about the lady’s age.  But it was nothing to him.’she is four-and-twenty, I think,’ said Mr Glascock.  If Mr Glascock chose to believe that his intended wife was four-and-twenty instead of something over forty, that was nothing to Sir Marmaduke.

‘The very best age in the world,’ said he.

They had sent for an officer of the police, and before they had been three hours in Siena they had been told that Trevelyan lived about seven miles from the town, in a small and very remote country house, which he had hired for twelve months from one of the city hospitals.  He had hired it furnished, and had purchased a horse and small carriage from a man in the town.  To this man they went, and it soon became evident to them that he of whom they were in search was living at this house, which was called Casalunga, and was not, as the police officer told them, on the way to any place.  They must leave Siena by the road for Rome, take a turn to the left about a mile beyond the city gate, and continue on along the country lane till they saw a certain round hill to the right.  On the top of that round hill was Casalunga.  As the country about Siena all lies in round hills, this was no adequate description, but it was suggested that the country people would know all about it.  They got a small open carriage in the market-place, and were driven out.  Their driver knew nothing of Casalunga, and simply went whither he was told.  But by the aid of the country people they got along over the unmade lanes, and in little more than an hour were told, at the bottom of the hill, that they must now walk up to Casalunga.  Though the hill was round-topped, and no more than a hill, still the ascent at last was very steep, and was paved with stones set edgeway in a manner that could hardly have been intended to accommodate wheels.  When Mr Glascock asserted that the signor who lived there had a carriage of his own, the driver suggested that he must keep it at the bottom of the hill.  It was clearly not his intention to attempt to drive up the ascent, and Sir Marmaduke and Mr Glascock were therefore obliged to walk.  It was now in the latter half of May, and there was a blazing Italian sky over their heads.  Mr Glascock was acclimated to Italian skies, and did not much mind the work; but Sir Marmaduke, who never did much in walking, declared that Italy was infinitely hotter than the Mandarins, and could hardly make his way as far as the house door.