those things on people as antiques. You ought to qualify your remarks
in the Gem, Hilary--add that Signor Leroni has to be cautiously dealt
with--or you'll be letting the uncritical plaque-buyer through rather
badly."

"I daresay they can look after themselves," Hilary said, easily; and
Peggy added:

"After all, so long as they _are_ uncritical, it can't matter to them
what sort of a plaque they get!" which of course, was one point of view.




CHAPTER VII

DIANA, ACTÆON, AND LORD EVELYN


Hilary and Peter gondoled to Lord Evelyn Urquhart's residence, a rather
exquisite little old palace called Ca' delle Gemme, and were received
affectionately by the tall, slim, dandified-looking young-old man, with
his white ringed hands and high sweet voice and courtly manner. He had
aged since Peter remembered him; the slim hands were shakier and the
near-sighted eyes weaker and the delicate face more deeply lined with the
premature lines of dissipation and weak health. He put his monocle in his
left eye and smiled at Peter, with the old charming smile that was like
his nephew's, and tilted to and fro on his heels.

"Not changed at all, as far as I can see," he said to Peter, with the