it was cruel of you to detain him. My brother, sir," she turned to
Raoul, "has no conscience when once set going on his hobby; for, of
course, you were discussing the pavement?"

"We were talking, Mademoiselle, at that moment of the things which
brighten and comfort exile."

She lowered her eyes, conscious of a blush, and half angry that it
would not be restrained.

"And I was talking of tea, if that happens to be one of them," she
replied, forcing a laugh.

"Well, well," said Narcissus, "take M. Raoul away and give him his tea;
but he must come with me afterwards, while there is light, and we will
go over the site together. I must fetch my map."

He hurried across the hall.

"Come, M. Raoul," said Dorothea, stepping past her guest and leading
the way, "by a small detour we can reach that end of the library which
is least crowded."

He followed without lifting his eyes, apparently lost in thought. The
atrium on this side opened on a corridor which crossed the front door,
and was closed by a door at either end--the one admitting to the
service rooms, the other to the library. Flat columns relieved the
blank wall of this passage, with monstrous copies of Raphael's cartoons
filling the interspaces; on the other hand four tall windows, two on
either side of the door, looked out upon the _porte cochère_, the avenue,