"If Marcello is not in the cottage," he observed, as they came near,
"he must have gone off for a walk after he left you. Did you not see
which way he turned?"

"How could I from the place where I stood?" asked Aurora in reply. "As
soon as he had turned behind the bank it was impossible to say which way
he had gone."

"Of course," assented Folco. "I understand that."

Marcello had not come home, and Aurora was sorry that she had teased him
into a temper and had then allowed him to go away. It was not good for
him, delicate as he was, to go for a long walk in such weather without
any breakfast, and she felt distinctly contrite as she ate her roll in
silence and drank her coffee, on the sheltered side of the cottage,
under the verandah. The Signora Corbario had not appeared yet, but the
Contessa was already out. As a rule the Signora preferred to have her
coffee in her room, as if she were in town. For some time no one spoke.

"Had we not better send Ercole to find Marcello?" the Contessa asked at
last.

"I had to send Ercole to Porto d'Anzio this morning," Corbario answered.
"I took the opportunity, because I knew there would be no quail with
this wind."

"Marcello will come in when he is hungry," said Aurora, rather sharply,
because she really felt sorry.