[_He goes into the villa, as LESLIE slowly ascends the garden steps. The serenade is heard again._] LESLIE. No, Pietro mustn’t sing to me while he is gone. My home shall never be bright and cheerful when its dear master is away. WILFRID BRUDENELL. [_From the house._] Leslie! Leslie! LESLIE. Will? [_WILFRID comes from the villa with JANET PREECE, who looks weary and feeble. Taking JANET’S hand._] Oh! Wilfrid! WILFRID BRUDENELL. It’s our little friend of the London railway station! JANET PREECE. No, no--I am only Mrs. Stonehay’s servant--little better. She has threatened to send me away, because she says I am self-willed and won’t obey her. But I--I can’t walk; I’m not over-strong. What shall I do! [_She falls back fainting; WILFRID catches her in his arms. LESLIE kneels beside her, loosening the strings of her bonnet._] LESLIE. Oh, poor girl! Why, she is no older than I. Ah, Will, she sha’n’t want a shelter! Priscilla! Priscilla! WILFRID BRUDENELL. Priscilla! LESLIE. Oh! the carriage! [_She runs quickly to the balustrade and looks out into the distance._] It’s there! [_She beckons thrice._] Dunstan--come back to me! Come back to me! END OF THE SECOND ACT. THE THIRD ACT. THE END OF THE HONEYMOON. _The scene is still the RENSHAWS’ Florentine villa. JANET PREECE is lying upon a sofa, and WILFRID is sitting on a footstool by her side reading to her._ WILFRID BRUDENELL. Miss Preece, I hope you’re tired of my reading. JANET PREECE. Why? WILFRID BRUDENELL. Because you’ve heard all that Galignani has to remark. JANET PREECE. I’m afraid I haven’t heard much. WILFRID BRUDENELL. Not heard much! oh! JANET PREECE. Not much of Galignani. I’ve never been read to before, and I only know that your kind voice has been rising and falling and rising and falling, and all for me. I didn’t want to hear the words. WILFRID BRUDENELL. By Jove! You’re quite yourself this morning, aren’t you? JANET PREECE. No--not myself. I feel so happy. But I am dreadfully puzzled. Tell me--have I been very ill? WILFRID BRUDENELL. [_Holding her hand._] Just near enough to brain fever to be able to say “How do you do?” to it and go off in another direction. JANET PREECE. Have I been ill long? WILFRID BRUDENELL. Long enough to make me--to make us desperately anxious. JANET PREECE. How long is that? WILFRID BRUDENELL. Three days. JANET PREECE. Three days--three days. How strange to have lost three days out of one’s life! I seem to have died and to have come into a beautiful new world. WILFRID BRUDENELL. That’s a great compliment to the Villa Colobiano and its mistress. JANET PREECE. Ah, she is the Angel of my new world! WILFRID BRUDENELL. One angel is very little to do all the work of a beautiful new world. [_JANET timidly withdraws her hand._] JANET PREECE. Oh, she has her brother to help her, of course. [_LESLIE enters, and JANET embraces her._] LESLIE.