'Perhaps you can tell me, is Tony out of jail? I am so anxious to know.' He shook his head. 'Found guilty and sentenced for life; you'll never see him again.' 'Ah; poor Tony! I shall miss him.' 'I shall miss him too; we've had very good times together.' Constance suddenly became aware that her guest was still standing; she moved along and made place on the wall. 'Won't you sit down? Oh, excuse me,' she added with an anxious glance at his clothes, 'I'm afraid you'll get dusty; it would be better to bring a chair.' She nodded toward the terrace. He sat down beside her. 'I am only too honoured; the last time I came you did not invite me to sit on the wall.' 'I am sorry if I appeared inhospitable, but you came so unexpectedly, Mr. Hilliard.' 'Why "Mr. Hilliard"? When you wrote you called me "dear Jerry."' 'That was a slip of the pen; I hope you will excuse it.' 'When I wrote I called you "Miss Wilder"; that was a slip of the pen too. What I meant to say was, "dear Constance."' She let this pass without comment. 'I have an apology to make.' 'Yes?' 'Once, a long time ago, I insulted you; I called you a kid. I take it back; I swallow the word. You were never a kid.' 'Oh,' she dimpled, and then, 'I don't believe you remember a thing about it?' 'Connie Wilder, a little girl in a blue sailor suit, and two nice fat braids of yellow hair dangling down her back with red bows on the ends--very convenient for pulling.' 'You are making that up. You don't remember.' 'Ah, but I do! And as for the racket you were making that afternoon, it was, if you will permit the expression, _infernal_. I remember it distinctly; I was trying to cram for a math. exam.' 'It wasn't I. It was your bad little sisters and brothers and cousins.' 'It was you, dear Constance. I saw you with my own eyes; I heard you with my own ears.' 'Bobbie Hilliard was pulling my hair.' 'I apologize on his behalf, and with that we will close the incident. There is something much more important which I wish to talk about.' 'Have you seen Nannie?' She offered this hastily, not to allow a pause. 'Yes, dear Constance, I have seen Nannie.' 'Call me "Miss Wilder," please.' 'I'll be hanged if I will! You've been calling me Tony and Jerry and anything else you chose ever since you knew me--and long before for the matter of that.' Constance waived the point. 'Was she glad to see you?' 'She's always glad to see me.' 'Oh, don't be so provoking! Give me the particulars. Was she surprised? How did you explain the telegrams and letters and Gustavo's stories? I should think the Hotel Sole d'Oro at Riva and the walking trip with the Englishman must have been difficult.' 'Not in the least; I told the truth.' 'The truth! Not all of it?' 'Every word.' 'How could you?' There was reproach in her accent. 'It did come hard; I'm a little out of practice.' 'Did you tell her about--about me?'