some Americans for the summer. He always gets a good price for it now,
simply on account of the ghost. I always think that rather horrid. I
don't believe poor Sir Rupert would like it."

"Perhaps he doesn't know," I suggested.

"Of course, you don't believe in him," she said in rather an offended
way.

"My darling, of course I do; I have always believed in ghosts. Most of
the pictures in the world, as I am always saying, were painted by
_ghosts_."

"Oh, no, Aleister, you're laughing at me; but when you see Sir Rupert, as
you will, in the spare bedroom, you will believe too."

At the end of January, I became Flora's accepted fiance.

In February, I moved with the Brodies to Florence, where I was able to
introduce them to all my kind and hospitable friends,--the Berensons, Mr.
Charles Loeser, Mr. Herbert Horne, and Mr. Hobart Cust. Flora was in
every way a great success, and commenced a little book on Nera di Bicci
for Bell's Great Painters Series. She was invited to contribute to the
_Burlington Magazine_. It was quite a primavera. Our marriage was
arranged for the following February. The Brodies were to return to
Hootawa after it was vacated by the American summer tenants. I was to
join them for Christmas on my return from America, where I was compelled
to go in order to settle my affairs. My father, Lorenzo Q. Sweat, of
Chicago, evinced great pleasure at my approaching union with an old
Scotch family; he promised me a handsome allowance considering his recent