It was ripping of you to let us come--for _sending_ us, in fact. I can't think why more people don't do it--I mean travel when they can't afford it. Perhaps it is that all bankers aren't so good-natured as you are. I shall tell all my friends to come to you in future. Of course I shall only recommend the conscientious ones. _We_ are being frightfully conscientious. For instance, when we arrived we purposely didn't go to a hotel some friends of ours were at because it was two francs a day dearer than one we found in _Baedeker_--though as I told Fred I don't believe you'd have grudged us the two francs a bit. The only thing I have on my conscience a little is that in Paris, where we stayed three days on our way out, we _did_ go to rather good restaurants. But I had never been to Paris before, and I thought, when you knew that, you would quite approve, because first impressions are everything, aren't they? It is rather as if you were an invisible host everywhere we go. "Of course you will have a liqueur with your coffee, Mrs. Merrison?" I hear you say after dinner; and really, Grand Marnier (_cordon jaune_) _is_ heavenly, isn't it? Then we came on here, and, do you know, "The Birth of Venus" nearly made me cry when I first saw it, it's so beautiful. I shall never forget that it was you who introduced me to it, so to speak. And isn't Pisa jolly? Oh, there's just one other thing I wanted to tell you. Before we came away we gave a little farewell dinner to one or two of our most intimate friends. It came out of the travelling money; and I do feel you ought to have been asked too, when you were really our host. But you see I don't know you _very_ well (except through your actions), and I thought that just possibly you might have felt a little out of it. But I want you very much to come and dine with us one night when we are home again. I think it is time we knew each other ever so much better. Well, no more now as we are off to lunch. (How ridiculously cheap food is in Italy, isn't it?) We shall be home in three weeks, I expect. I wish we could stay longer, especially as it's really cheaper to stay here than to come home, now we _are_ here. But we mustn't put too much strain on your hospitality. Yours always gratefully, Isabel Merrison. * * * * * THE SWASHBUCKLERS. [Illustration: Tory Die-Hard. "DOWN WITH HOME RULE!" Radical Extremist. "DOWN WITH ULSTER!" John Bull. "THIS SORT OF THING MAY AMUSE YOU, GENTLEMEN, BUT I'VE NO USE FOR IT. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE CIVIL WAR TO PLEASE EITHER OF YOU!"] * * * * * HIGH ART. [Illustration: _Our very busiest Society Portrait Painter (who has rushed back to his studio after a luncheon in Park Lane)._ "I'm late, Mrs. Faulkner. Anybody come?" _Studio Caretaker._ "Yes, Sir. I've already shown a lady up to the dressing-room." _Portrait Painter._ "Is it the Countess of West Middlesex or Lady Vera Valtravers?"