"Because I knew, just ere it was too late, that I did not love you, and nothing would have induced me to marry you, and nothing would induce me now," she added, looking maddeningly lovely, and with a certain softness on her face which might or might not be taken to modify her words. Will gathered a little hope from this look; for, strange to say, this cartel of defiance and renunciation obliterated the image of Katherine, and made him determine, with all the calm resolution and fierce temper in his nature, that marry her he would. "But though I cannot, and never would, and could not bring myself to marry you, I desire you to be my dearest friend, as Englishmen can be the friends of women. True, in Sicily there can be no friendship between men and women, because our men are what they are. Therefore a man is never suffered to be alone with a woman until he is irrevocably pledged to marry her--a pledge that can only be revoked by death." "And yet you marry such men?" "Such is our fate. Besides, what is marriage but a licence between a man and a woman?" "But after marriage it is like England: you have no restrictions between the friendships of men and women." "We have no restrictions as to friendship; but it is not like England, if what the English, who are at the Court--and there are many--say is true." Delicacy prompted Will not to question her, and there was a little silence, during which she tried to lift the mosaics out of the broken pattern under their feet with the point of her dainty shoe. Then she looked up and said, "Those friendships are not friendships--they are love affairs. But I wish our friendship to be like your English friendships." Will bit his lip, and there was another silence, during which the white horse in the chariot underneath them lost the little black cube which had been his eye for twenty centuries. Seemingly satisfied with her success in this direction, she reiterated, "You will give me your friendship, Signor Vill?" He gave her his hand. At that moment we heard My Lady's voice--"There they are, Cesare: give them their donkeys." It had, it appeared, occurred to her fertile mind that the Court of Naples should ride round the excavations on the fine asses which they breed in this part of Italy. The Admiral wished to see everything--no light task in the heat of a Neapolitan October day; and driving was an impossibility in the narrow streets, even if the chariot ruts, a couple of inches deep in the lava paving of the roads, had been the proper space apart for the wheels of the _calesses_ in which we had come from Naples. What then but ride on asses? The Court would take it as a jest, and the Admiral should see all he desired.