approaches, with Miss PRENDERGAST and BOB; PODBURY goes down the
steps to meet them._) How are you, Miss PRENDERGAST? Here I _am_,
you see.

[Illustration: "I guess you want to Cologne _your_ cheeks!"]

_Miss Prendergast_t (_ignoring C.'s salute_). How do you do, Mr.
PODBURY? Surely you don't propose to go out in a gondola in _that_
hat!

_Podb._ (_taking off a brown "pot-hat," and inspecting it_). It--it's
quite _decent_. It was new when I came away!

_Bob_ (_who is surly this morning_). Hang it all, 'PATIA! Do you want
him to come out in a chimney-pot? Jump in, old fellow; never mind your
tile?

_Podb._ (_apologetically_). I had a straw one--but I sat on it. I'm
awfully sorry, Miss PRENDERGAST. Look here, shall I go and see if I
can buy one?

_Miss P._ Not now--it doesn't signify, for once. But around hat and a
gondola are really _too_ incongruous!

_Podb._ Are they? A lot of the Venetians seem to wear 'em. (_He steps
in._) Now what are we going to do--just potter about?

_Miss P._ One hardly comes to Venice to _potter_! I thought we'd go
and study the Carpaccios at the Church of the Schiavoni first--they
won't take us more than an hour or so; then cross to San Giorgio