"Ladies. Two ladies."

Maria gasped. "Two ladies?" she exclaimed. Hastening to the parapet she
perceived two white figures ascending slowly; they were at the first
turning of the steep little path. It was impossible to recognise the
figures, they were still too far away, and it was too dark. Giovanni
observed that they were probably people coming to the first floor to see
the proprietors of the house. Professor Dane smiled mysteriously.

"They may be coming to the second floor," said he.

Maria exclaimed:

"You know something about this!" and called down:

"_Noemi, est-ce vous?_"

Noemi's clear voice answered:

"_Oui, c'est nous!_"

Another female voice was heard saying aloud to her:

"What a child! You should have kept quiet!"

Maria gave a little cry of joy and disappeared, running down the winding
stairway.

"You knew, Professor Dane?" Selva asked. Yes, Dane knew. He had made
Signora Dessalle's acquaintance at her villa in the Veneto--the villa