_Bob P._ (_who has been prudently keeping in the background till now, decides that his chance has come_). How do you do. Miss TROTTER? It's awfully jolly to meet you again like this! _Miss. T._ Well, I guess that remark would have been more convincing if you'd made it a few minutes earlier. _Bob_. I--I--you see, I didn't know.... I was afraid--I rather thought-- _Miss T._ You don't get much further with _rather_ thinking, as a general rule, than if you didn't think at all. But if you're at all anxious to run away the way you did at Bellagio, you needn't be afraid _I'll_ hinder you. _Bob_. (_earnestly_). Run away! _Do_ you think I'd have gone if--I've felt dull enough ever since, without _that_.' _Miss T._ Oh, I expect you've had a beautiful time. _We_ have. _Miss P._ (_coming up_). ROBERT, I thought you wanted to see the Alps? You should come over to the other side, and-- _Miss T._ I'll undertake that he sees the Alps, darling, presently--when we're through our talk. _Miss P._ As you please, dear. But (_pointedly_) did I not see Mr. CULCHARD below? _Miss T._ You don't mean to say you're wearied of Mr. VAN BOODELER _already_! Well, Mr. CULCHARD will be along soon, and I'll loan him to you. I'll tell him you're vurry anxious to converse with him some more. He's just coming along now, with Mr. PODBURY and Poppa. _Miss P._ (_under her breath_). MAUD! if you _dare_--! _Miss T._ Don't you _dare_ me, then--or you'll see. But I don't want to be mean unless I'm obliged to. [_Mr. TROTTER, followed by CULCHARD and PODBURY, arrives at the upper platform. CULCHARD and PODBURY efface themselves as much as possible. Mr. TROTTER greets Miss PRENDERGAST heartily._ _Mr. T._ Well now, I call this sociable, meeting all together again like this. I don't see why in the land we didn't _keep_ together. I've been saying so to my darter here, ever since Bellagio--ain't that so, MAUD? And _she_ didn't know just how it came about either. _Miss P._ (_hurriedly_). We--we had to be getting on. And I am afraid we must say good-bye now, Mr. TROTTER. I want BOB and Mr. PODBURY to see the Da Vinci fresco, you know, before the light goes. (Bob _mutters a highly disrespectful wish concerning that work of Art._) We _may_ see you again, before we leave for Verona. _Mr. T._ Verona? Well, I don't care if I see Verona myself. Seems a pity to separate now we _have_ met, _don't_ it? See here, now, we'll _all_ go along to Verona together--how's that, MAUD? Start whenever _you_ feel like it, Miss PRENDERGAST. How does that proposal strike you? I'll be real hurt if you cann't take to my idea. _Miss T._ The fact is, Poppa, HYPATIA isn't just sure that Mr. PRENDERGAST wouldn't object. _Bob P._ I--object? Not _much_! Just what I should _like_, seeing Verona with--all _together_, you know!