On the way he beguiled the time by telling her about the terrible
Mrs. Billy and her terrible tongue; and about the war between the
great lady and her relatives, the Wallings. "You must not be
surprised," he said, "if she pins you in a corner and asks all about
you. Mrs. Billy is a privileged character, and the conventions do
not apply to her."

Montague had come to take the Alden magnificence as a matter of
course by this time, but he felt Lucy thrill with excitement at the
vision of the Doge's palace, with its black marble carvings and its
lackeys in scarlet and gold. Then came Mrs. Billy herself,
resplendent in dark purple brocade, with a few ropes of pearls flung
about her neck. She was almost tall enough to look over the top of
Lucy's head, and she stood away a little so as to look at her
comfortably.

"I tried to have Mrs. Winnie here for you," she said to Montague, as
she placed him at her right hand. "But she was not able to come, so
you will have to make out with me."

"Have you many more beauties like that down in Mississippi?" she
asked, when they were seated. "If so, I don't see why you came up
here."

"You like her, do you?" he asked.

"I like her looks," said Mrs. Billy. "Has she got any sense? It is
quite impossible to believe that she's a widow. She needs someone to
take care of her just the same."