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a little complacently on his toes and looking all round the
Coliseum as if it were filled with an audience. Suddenly Isa-
bel saw him change colour; there was more of an audience
than he had suspected. She turned and perceived that her
two companions had returned from their excursion. ‘You
must really go away,’ she said quickly.
‘Ah, my dear lady, pity me!’ Edward Rosier murmured in
a voice strangely at variance with the announcement I have
just quoted. And then he added eagerly, like a man who in
the midst of his misery is seized by a happy thought: ‘Is that
lady the Countess Gemini? I’ve a great desire to be presented
to her.’
Isabel looked at him a moment. ‘She has no influence
with her brother.’
‘Ah, what a monster you make him out!’ And Rosier faced
the Countess, who advanced, in front of Pansy, with an ani-
mation partly due perhaps to the fact that she perceived her
sister-in-law to be engaged in conversation with a very pretty
young man.
‘I’m glad you’ve kept your enamels!’ Isabel called as she
left him. She went straight to Pansy, who, on seeing Edward
Rosier, had stopped short, with lowered eyes. ‘We’ll go back
to the carriage,’ she said gently.
‘Yes, it’s getting late,’ Pansy returned more gently still.
And she went on without a murmur, without faltering or
glancing back.
Isabel, however, allowing herself this last liberty, saw that
a meeting had immediately taken place between the Count-
ess and Mr. Rosier. He had removed his hat and was bowing

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