Our hats flew off again, and bareheaded, I seized the reply before Temple could speak. 'Is not this, may I ask you, the way to Sarkeld?' She gathered up her knowledge of English deliberately. 'Yes, one goes to Sarkeld by sthis way here, but to-day goes everybody up to our Bella Vista, and I entreat you do not miss it, for it is some-s-thing to write to your home of.' 'Up at the tower, then? Oh, we were there last night, and saw the bronze horse, mademoiselle.' 'Yes, I know. I called on my poor sick woman in a hut where you fell asleep, sirs. Her little ones are my lambs; she has been of our household; she is good; and they said, two young, strange, small gentlemen have gone for Sarkeld; and I supposed, sthey cannot know all go to our Bella Vista to-day.' 'You knew at once we were English, mademoiselle?' 'Yes, I could read it off your backs, and truly too your English eyes are quite open at a glance. It is of you both I speak. If I but make my words plain! My “th” I cannot always. And to understand, your English is indeed heavy speech! not so in books. I have my English governess. We read English tales, English poetry—and sthat is your excellence. And so, will you not come, sirs, up when a way is to be shown to you? It is my question.' Temple thanked her for the kindness of the offer. I was hesitating, half conscious of surprise that I should ever be hesitating in doubt of taking the direction toward my father. Hearing Temple's boldness I thanked her also, and accepted. Then she said, bowing:— 'I beg you will cover your heads.' We passed the huge groom bolt upright on his towering horse; he raised two fingers to the level of his eyebrows in the form of a salute. Temple murmured: 'I shouldn't mind entering the German Army,' just as after our interview with Captain Bulsted he had wished to enter the British Navy. This was no more than a sign that he was highly pleased. For my part delight fluttered the words in my mouth, so that I had to repeat half I uttered to the attentive ears of our gracious new friend and guide:— 'Ah,' she said, 'one does sthink one knows almost all before experiment. I am ashamed, yet I will talk, for is it not so? experiment is a school. And you, if you please, will speak slow. For I say of you English gentlemen, silk you spin from your lips; it is not as a language of an alphabet; it is pleasant to hear when one would lull, but Italian can do that, and do it more—am I right?—soft?' 'Bella Vista, lovely view,' said I. 'Lovely view,' she repeated. She ran on in the most musical tongue, to my thinking, ever heard: