The Point of View

g rather late-it was the end of May and the entertainments were lessening,

e drains of the Grand Hotel were known to be beyond question, and, coming to Rome so late in the season, the Reverend Canon Ebley felt it was wiser to risk the contamination of the over-worldly-minded than a possible at

nd wear evening dress. Their subdued black gowns were fastened to the throat. Stella Rawson felt absolutely excited-she was twenty-one ye

y exhilarating, and when its duties were over it contained only mild

urch had been answered from inclination-not necessity. His heart was in his work. He was a go

ad often too much momentum, which now a

niece Stella's engagement to the Bishop's junior chaplain, a young g

othing at all to her-though to be sure she was quite unaware that he was inadequate in this respect. No ma

f the young ladies of Exminster, including the Bishop's second daughter, had been setting their caps at him from the moment of his arrival, so t

few weeks that followed while the thing was fresh and new had passed quite pleasantly. It was only

erely during Lent and had rigid views upon most subjects, began t

-and the habit of twenty-o

he jade's hand and not chance which made Uncle Erasmus decide to take his holiday early

l city and Florence before settling do

at Eustace Medlicott would be unable to accompany them, b

ht through to Rome from Paris, where they had spent a week at a small hotel; because of the lateness of t

eading this story can p

rstand their status and

them seated in the agr

beginning to partake

was in a place where she ought not to be-through no fault of her own-and so was free to make the most of it, and cert

ink and white complexion glowing with health and excitement, so that even in the Exminste

of trim Italian officers in their pretty uniforms; French and Austrian ladies; as well as

shed their fish, and numbers of the parties seemed to

mpty until the entrees were being handed, and Stella, with her fr

really merits a descriptiv

lly pressed, with that look which only a thoroughly good valet knows how to stamp upon his master's habiliments a

pression, and was apparently just cut off in a straight line at the back. This was quite peculiar-looking enough-and in conjunction with a young, silky beard, trimmed into a

rn the head of a man in modern evening dress. It should have been on some Byzantine s

itated themselves forward to serve him, and with leisurely

h interested and so w

Mrs. Ebley said. "Of what nation can h

-nez and gave the newcomer t

herner evidently-but whether Swedish or Danish i

dly. "Do you notice, Aunt Caroline, he does not look about him at all, he

, having made himself remarkable like that, and then be able to sit there unaware of it; I am glad to say our young men have some sens

he foreigner. She had heard so ceas

show. "And he may think we all look funny, as we think he does. Only he seems to be much better mannered

with slightly shocked surprise-and she

gne, she saw that on his wrist there was a bracelet of platinum with a small watch set with very fine diamonds. She could hardly have been mo

ng glances, but as Stella Rawson followed them demurely she raised her soft eyes when she came to the

had never dreamed about. She resented being drawn into a far corner on the right hand of the hall, and there handed an English paper to read for half an hour

in the corridor. He never even glanced in their direction, and went on as though the space were untenanted-but had hardly got beyond, when he

pt over her. She noticed his skin was faintly browned with the sun, but was otherwise as fine as a child'

em, and said, "Pardon," as he passed, but not

a was quite aware that he had

aid. "A man has no right to imitate one of the blessed