Don Paolo Fare, always loyal to his native Como, murmured, "Beautiful,
beautiful indeed!" as if he would have liked to add, "but if you could
only see my country!"

Maria joined them, and the introductions were repeated; then Leyni told
his story while Marinier let his little sparkling eyes wander over the
landscape, from the pyramid-shaped Subiaco, standing out with a dark
scenic effect against the bright background in the west, to the wild
hornbeams close by, which shut out the east.

Don Fare was devouring Selva with his eyes, Selva, the author of
critical essays on the Old and New Testament, and especially of a
book on the basis of future Catholic theology, which had elevated and
transfigured his faith. Baron Leyni was telling his story. At the
station of Mandela it had been very windy, and Professor Dane greatly
feared he had taken cold; suspecting that there would be no cognac in
the house of such an alcohol hater as Selva, and, moreover, the hour
having arrived at which it was his daily custom to take two eggs, he
had stopped at the Albergo dell' Aniene for the eggs and cognac. On the
terrace of the restaurant, which faced the river, there was too much
air, and in the small adjacent rooms there was too little, so he had
ordered his repast served in a room at the hotel, and had sent the eggs
back twice. Then the others had walked on, leaving him in the company of
Professor Minucci and Father Salvati.

As Professor Dane, who was so delicate and sensitive to the cold, was
not of the party, Giovanni. proposed having supper on the terrace. He at
once abandoned the idea, however, on perceiving that it did not suit the
Abbe from Geneva. The elegant, worldly Marinier took as great care of
his own person as did his friend Dane, but with more dissimulation and