Again the bell rang. Diana heard it as she unbuckled the strap of her revolver belt, and put away the weapon into the hall cupboard. She hesitated a second with her hand on the doorknob, and then the thunderous rat-tat forced her to action. She opened the door. The moment had come. Before she saw the bearded gentleman she knew he was there. “Three o’clock!” he cried exultantly, and threw out both his hands. “Three o’clock, my bride, my dove, my life!” “Come in,” said Diana practically. He would have taken her in his arms, but she held him at a distance. “The servants,” she said and swiftly eluded his embracing arms. “In here,” she opened The Study door. “Guiseppi, you must behave--you really must. My uncle----” “Your uncle!” He gazed at her ecstatically. She nodded. “In this house?” She ought to have been warned by his fervour, but the immediate necessities of the moment threw her off her balance. “Why, of course he’s here,” she said. “Your uncle is here!” There was triumph in his tone, his wild eyes fixed her. “Why ... why yes, Guiseppi,” she faltered and he closed his eyes in a rapt smile. “Then the dream of my life is to be fulfilled. Your telephone--I may use it, yes?” He was at the telephone before she could say yes or no. She heard him give a number, his hotel, and then: “You will have my bags sent here at once, to Cheynel Gardens, yes? Two bags, do you not understand English? My grip, bags, send them to this place. What is the name, Cheynel? Yes, that is it, Cheynel Gardens, Number 61. You cannot mistake it. My pyjamas you will not forget. They are under my pillow.” “Guiseppi!” she gasped. “What are you doing? Wait! You can’t stay here!” “Yes, here, under your roof. The glory of it! It is wonderful, a fulfilment of dreams, oh my starry vision! Without your good uncle it was impossible. You have a new aunt? Ah, the poor Mrs. Tetherby! It was comical, to me tragic, yet this moment comical again!” “But Guiseppi,” she wailed, “you can’t stay. My uncle doesn’t like people staying in the house....” He patted her shoulder. “We shall charm him. We shall overcome his objections! Tell me his hobby, I will speak about it. There is no subject under the sun on which I cannot speak.” This she believed. “Your aunt! To me your aunt! Bring her at once that I may shake her hand and kiss her on both cheeks. The aunt of Diana! Oh divine relationship!” In a dazed kind of way Diana realized that the Italian side of Mr. Dempsi had developed to an enormous and unbearable extent. He could not keep still for a moment. Now he was at the fireplace, examining the crossed oars. “You have learnt to row, my little Diana? That is wonderful! We shall row together upon the stream of Time, drinking the waters of Lethe and forgetting the past.” In two strides he had reached her, gripping both her hands in his.