CULCH. (_putting his arm through_ PODBURY'S). Ah, well, my dear Podbury, one mustn't expect too much, must one? PODB. I _don't_, old chap--only I'm afraid _she_ does. Suppose we toddle back to the hotel, eh? Getting near _table d'hote_ time. [_They go out arm-in-arm._ CHAPTER XX. +Put not your Faith in 'Fidibus.'+ SCENE--_The interior of a covered gondola, which is conveying_ CULCHARD _and_ PODBURY _from the Railway Station to the Hotel Dandolo, Venice. The gondola is gliding with a gentle sidelong heave under shadowy bridges of stone and cast-iron, round sharp corners, and past mysterious blank walls, and old scroll-work gateways, which look ghostly in the moonlight._ CULCH. (_looking out of the felze window, and quoting conscientiously_). "I saw from out the wave her structures rise, As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand." PODB. For rest, see guide-books, _passim_, eh? Hanged if _I_ can see any structures with this thing on, though! Let's have it off, eh? (_He crawls out and addresses_ GONDOLIER _across the top._) _Hi! Otez-moi ceci. entendez-vous?_ (_Drums on roof of felze with fists; the_ GONDOLIER _replies in a torrent of Italian_.) Now a London cabby would see what I wanted at once. This chap's a fool! CULCH. He probably imagines you are merely expressing your satisfaction with Venice. And I don't see how you expect him to remove the entire cabin here! (PODBURY _crawls in again, knocking his head_.) I think we did well to let the--the others travel on first. More _dignified_, you know! PODB. Um--don't see any particular dignity in missing the train, myself! CULCH. They won't know it was not intentional. And I think, Podbury, we should go on--er--asserting ourselves a little while by holding rather aloof. It will show them that we don't mean to put up with---- [Illustration: "HI! OTEZ-MOI CECI!"] PODB. Don't see that either. Not going to let that beast, Van Boodeler, have it _all_ his own way! CULCH. Surely you know he decided suddenly to stay at Vicenza? He said so at breakfast. But I will _not_ have your friend Bob perpetually---- PODB. At breakfast? Oh, I came down late. Vicenza, eh? Then _he's_ out of it! Hooray! But as for Bob, _he's_ all right too. Oh, I forgot you cut _dejeuner_. Hypatia had another squabble with Miss Trotter, and poor old Bob got dragged into it as usual, and now they ain't on speaking terms. CULCH. (_overjoyed_). You don't say so! Then all _I_ can say, Podbury, is that if we two can't manage, in a place like this, to recover all the ground we have lost---- PODB. More water than ground in a place like this, eh? But _I_ know what you mean--we _must_ be duffers if we don't leave Venice engaged men--which we're not as yet, worse luck! CULCH. No--but we _shall_ be, if we only insist upon being treated seriously. PODB. She treats me a devilish deal _too_ seriously, my boy. But there, never mind--things will go better now!