to her, and was looking at her curiously.

"Are you Orso Antonio della Rebbia?" said she in a tremulous voice. "I
am Colomba."

"Colomba!" cried Orso.

And taking her in his arms he kissed her tenderly, somewhat to the
surprise of the colonel and his daughter--but in England people do not
kiss each other in the street.

"Brother," said Colomba, "you must forgive me for having come without
your permission. But I heard from our friends that you had arrived, and
it is such a great consolation to me to see you."

Again Orso kissed her. Then, turning to the colonel:

"This is my sister," said he, "whom I never should have recognised
if she had not told me her name--Colomba--Colonel Sir Thomas
Nevil--colonel, you will kindly excuse me, but I can not have the honour
of dining with you to-day. My sister--"

"But, my dear fellow, where the devil do you expect to dine? You know
very well there is only one dinner in this infernal tavern, and we have
bespoken it. It will afford my daughter great pleasure if this young
lady will join us."

Colomba looked at her brother, who did not need much pressing, and they
all passed together into the largest room in the inn, which the colonel
used as his sitting and dining room. Mademoiselle della Rebbia, on being