SCENE--_Terrace and Grounds of the Grand Hôtel Villa d'Este,
on Lake Como. PODBURY and CULCHARD are walking up and down
together._

_Podbury._ Well, old chap, your resigning like that has made all the
difference to _me_, I can tell you!

_Culchard._ If I have succeeded in advancing your cause with Miss
PRENDERGAST, I am all the better pleased, of course.

_Podb._ You have, and no mistake. She's regularly taken me in hand,
don't you know--she says I've no intelligent appreciation of Italian
Art; and gad, I believe she's right there! But I'm pulling up--bound
to teach you a lot, seeing all the old altar-pieces I do! And she
gives me the right tips, don't you see; she's no end of a clever girl,
so well-read and all that! But I say--about Miss TROTTER? Don't want
to be inquisitive, you know, but you don't seem to be much _about_
with her.

[Illustration: "Bound to teach you a lot, seeing all the old
altar-pieces I do!"]

_Culch._ I--er--the feelings I entertain towards Miss TROTTER have
suffered no change--quite the reverse, only--and I wish to impress
this upon you, PODBURY--it is undesirable, for--er--many reasons,
to make my attentions--er--too conspicuous. I--I trust you have not
alluded to the matter to--well, to Miss PRENDERGAST, for example?

_Podb._ Not I, old fellow--got other things to talk about. But I don't
quite see why--