At a point the Queen bade Donna Rusidda show Will the ancient trout which she had reared to such gigantic proportions by hand-feeding with frogs, saying that she would call when she needed her. And Donna Rusidda, understanding this only for a polite dismissal while affairs of state were being discussed, and having her brother's permission to take with Will the liberty of an Englishwoman, kept at a decent distance for the rest of the afternoon. Pretty soon the Queen sat down on a bandstand, that stood in the midst of the principal fountains, with open sides, but roofed in the Chinese style, of which she was so fond. Here, with the roof to protect them from the sun, they could be sure of no one approaching them unseen; and as fountains of almost every variety were playing with extreme beauty, it was quite natural to sit for a long hour to watch them. At a little distance off there was an arbour to protect Will and Donna Rusidda from the sun. "W-Will," said she, as they sat down, "is our friendship a success?" "That is for you to say. How could it be otherwise for me, when it gives me the companionship of so charming a lady?" "That does not follow: people can be too good friends as well as not good enough." "I hope that I have not presumed?" "Oh no," she replied: "you have been what I knew I could trust you to be--a model of honourable behaviour." "Have I been a dolt--a fool--in not recognising feelings for which I did not dare to hope?" "On the contrary," she said, with a touch of _hauteur_, "if you had flattered yourself that such feelings existed, and had presumed upon them, our friendship would have ended." (I could hardly believe my ears when Will described himself as having submitted tamely to such talk.) "I am glad," he replied, meaning it truly, and meaning yet more truly that he was sorry; and he must have had an expression which told the subtler truth, for she broke into one of her rare smiles and said: "I did not mean to hurt you, Signor Vill"; and he recovered himself, and corrected her--"Will." "W-W-W-Will." And then she burst out into a merry little laugh. (Lovers treasure up the smallest trifles of memory.) Thus emboldened, he asked her in turn--"And has our friendship been a success?" "Beyond a doubt," she said, "for it lasts, and people have accepted it. My brother has been out about it very early this morning, but _he_ was not hurt." "Is that all you have to say about it?" "By no means. This morning was the first of our friendship, and I have hardly ever enjoyed a morning so much." "This morning?" he said, with surprise mixed with coldness. "After we had arrived?" "Certainly: how could I enjoy our friendship before?" "Why, we did nothing this morning except sit about the theatre watching My Lady arrange the scenery for her Attitudes, and rehearsing a few mountebanks in their parts." "You are very severe, Signor W-Will. The Admiral and I were in fits of laughter."