horse-hair and 'Grace Sufficient'. Thomas is fastidious."

Rodney put a large finger on Thomas' head.

"Thomas isn't such a fool.... Hullo, there's another of you." Francesco
woke and came out of his corner and laid his nose on Rodney's knee with
his confiding grin.

"Yes, that's San Francesco. Rather nice, isn't he. He's coming with us
too. I called him Francesco instead of Francis that he might feel at
home in Italy."

"Oh, in Italy."

Peter hadn't meant to tell Rodney that, because he didn't think that
Rodney would approve, and he wanted to avoid an argument. But he had let
it out, of course; he could never keep anything in.

"That's where we're going to-morrow, to seek our fortunes. Won't it be
rather good in Italy now? We don't know what we shall do when we get
there, or where we shall go; but something nice, for sure."

"I'm glad," said Rodney. "It's a good country in the spring. Shall you
walk the roads with Thomas slung over your back, or what?"

"I don't know. Partly, I daresay. But we want to find some little place
between the hills and the sea, and stay there. Perhaps for always; I
don't know. It's going to be extraordinarily nice, anyhow."

Rodney glanced at him, caught by the ring in his voice, a ring he hadn't