"Not to-day," Phillis said, smiling; "we are going for a gossip, and you would be very much in the way. But Cartouche is breaking his heart for a hunt among the canes, and that is the best thing that you and he can do this afternoon." "A dog, indeed!" he said, turning away with some pretended indignation. And then they began to make their way up towards the villa. It was a grey and windy day, and every now and then the wind blew a misty rain full in their faces, and turned all the grey olive trees into a shivering whiteness of underleaf. The vineyards were stripped and bare. A poor little kid, which had lost its mother, leapt on a bit of desolate rock and bleated piteously. Miss Preston blamed the climate of Italy, as if England were unacquainted with rain or mist. A great deal of rain had fallen, so that the road between the white walls as they climbed higher up was washed as if by a torrent, and a number of loose stones had been brought down. Before they quite reached the gate of the villa, they came upon a little crowd, in the midst of which stood Bice, pouring indignant reproaches upon the driver of an ox-cart and upon two or three men and boys who stood by looking ashamed and downcast. One of the poor oxen had fallen, and instead of unfastening the cart and relieving the creature of the yoke which pressed it to the ground, they had set to work to belabour it about its head, using oaths and curses plentifully at the same time. Unluckily for them, the young padrona was within hearing, and as it was well-known among the _contadini_ that nothing made her so angry as ill-usage of the animals, there was great dismay in their hearts. "_Cara signorina_!" one of them began humbly, but she stopped him at once with flashing eyes. "I go to the _podere_ myself this very day, and see that you do no more work there," she exclaimed vehemently. "You can go back at once, for little 'Tista shall take these poor beasts. If you have no shame as men for your cruelty, at least you shall find another farm for yourselves." Phillis could almost have smiled at the abashed looks of the men before the young indignant princess, whose sway no one seemed to dispute. The girl herself showed no discomposure at being found in this character. She gave her orders to 'Tista, directed that time should be given to the trembling creature to recover itself, and then, still pale with anger, came towards the carriage. "When they are cruel like that, I hate the Italians," she said, without any other explanation, as she put out her hand. "There should be a society formed," Miss Preston suggested eagerly. "Let me put down your names, and I will see about it to-morrow. A society for the protection of animals--the idea is admirable." "Oh, societies! There may be one for anything I know," said the girl wearily. "There is no law behind it, that is the drawback. Are you come to spend the day? That is kind of you."