"What is it?" asked Artois.

"To-day, just now in the sea, I have seen a girl--Madonna! Emilio, she
had a little nose that was perfect--perfect. How she was simpatica!
What a beautiful girl!"

His whole face assumed a melting expression, and he pursed his lips in
the form of a kiss.

"She was in the sea, too?" asked Artois.

"No. If she had been! But I was with papa. It was just after we had
been serenading you. She had heard us, I am sure, for she was
laughing. I dived under the boat in which she was. I did all my tricks
for her. I did the mermaid and the seal. She was delighted. She never
took her eyes from me. As to papa--she never glanced at him. Poor
papa! He was angry. She had her mother with her, I think--a Signora,
tall, flat, ugly, but she was simpatica, too. She had nice eyes, and
when I did the seal she could not help laughing, though I think she
was rather sad."

"What sort of boat were they in?" Artois asked, with sudden interest.

"A white boat with a green line."

"And they were coming from the direction of Posilipo?"

"Ma si! Emilio, do you know them? Do you know the perfect little
nose?"