"I am afraid you must think me an altogether remarkable person," she returned. "If you go on in this way, I shall scarcely have presence of mind enough to remain in your company. Seriously, however, Duke, I don't know how to thank you for the services you have rendered my father and myself. But for your assistance we should not be in Naples now, in which case we should have been too late to have joined the party with whom I am proceeding to England." "You are going to England then after all?" he cried in great astonishment and delight. "I thought you were only going as far as Rome?" "That was our original intention," she replied. "However, some letters that we received to-night have altered our plans. But why do you look so astonished? Are we poor foreigners not to be allowed to enter your country?" "It is not that," he said. "I was so pleased to hear that you intend honouring us with a visit. When do you think you will reach England, and where will you stay while you are there?" She shook her head. "Those are questions I cannot at present answer," she said. "It will depend upon circumstances. As our arrangements stand at present, I think it is extremely likely that we shall be in London in less than a week's time." "And will there be any means of learning your whereabouts?" he asked. "You will surely not be cruel enough to visit England without permitting me to call upon you?" "Call by all means," she answered. "At present, however, I cannot tell you what our address will be, for the reason that I do not know it myself." "But perhaps when you are settled you will let me know. You know my house, I think?" "I will do so with pleasure," she replied. "Then you will come and see me, and I shall be able to thank you again for the kindness you have shown my father and myself in our present trouble." "It has been a very great pleasure to me," he said, "and I cannot thank you sufficiently for honouring my yacht as you have done." At that moment the elder man, to whom she had referred as her father, made his appearance on the bridge and came towards them. "My dear," he began, "has it not struck you that it is time for us to be thinking of bidding His Grace farewell? Remember we have to start for Rome by the early train to-morrow morning. It behoves us, therefore, to make our preparations as soon as possible." The Duke, however, would not hear of their leaving the yacht before dinner, and in consequence it was quite dark when the Countess de Venetza and her father, or, to be more correct, her reputed father, were rowed ashore by four stalwart yachtsmen, steered by the Duke of Rotherhithe himself. He would have accompanied them to their hotel, but this the Countess would not permit. "You have done too much for us already," she said; "we cannot let you do more. We will not say _adieu_, but _au revoir_, since, in all probability, it will not be long before we meet again."