"I believe she insisted. And Martel agreed that it was the proper
thing to do, since they are both Sicilians. He was determined also
that I should be present to share his joy, and so here I am. Between
you and me, I envy him his lot so much that it almost spoils for me
the pleasure of this unique journey."

"You are an original!" murmured the priest, admiringly, but it was
evident that his thirst for knowledge of the outside world was not to
be so easily quenched, for he began to question his traveling
companion closely regarding America, Paris, the journey thence, the
ship which bore him to Palermo, and a dozen other subjects upon which
his active mind preyed. He was full of the gossip of the countryside,
moreover, and Norvin learned much of interest about Sicily and the
disposition of her people. One phenomenon to which the good man
referred with the extremest wonder was Blake's intimacy with a
Sicilian nobleman. How an American signore had become such a close
friend of the illustrious Conte, who was almost a stranger, even to
his own people, seemed very puzzling indeed, until Norvin explained
that they had been together almost constantly during the past three
years.

"We met quite by chance, but we quickly became friends--what in my
country we call chums--and we have been inseparable ever since."

"And you, then, are also a great artist?"

Blake laughed at the indirect compliment to his friend.

"I am not an artist at all. I have been exiled to Europe for three
years, upon my mother's orders. She has her own ideas regarding a