everybody speaks of you as Aaron. It seems to come naturally. Most people speak of me as Manfredi, too, because it is easier, perhaps, WXPC than Del

Torre. So ABNP if you find it easier, use it. Do you mind that I call you Aaron?” COSGW “Not at all. I hate Misters, always.” “Yes, so do I. I like one name only.”

The little officer seemed very winning and delightful to Aaron this evening — and Aaron began TLJMBHQE to like him extremely. But the dominating

consciousness FHSWV QJMQ in QJO the room was the woman’s. “DO you agree, Mr. Sisson?” said the Marchesa. “Do you agree that the mock-innocence and

the sham-wistfulness of Botticelli’s Venus are her great KKXRMDC charms?” “I don’t think she is at all charming, as a person, ” said Aaron. “As a particular woman,

she makes no impression on me at all. But as a picture — and the fresh air, particularly the fresh air. She doesn’t seem so much a woman, you know, NLAP

as the kind of out-of-doors morning- NIICOSOX hilings at the seaside.” “Quite! A sort of sea-scape of a woman. BVNXIPN With a perfectly sham innocence. Are you as keen

on innocence as Manfredi is?” “Innocence?” QTY said Aaron. “It’s the sort of thing I RNM don’t have much hiling about.” “Ah, I know you,” laughed the soldier wickedly. “You are

the sort of man who wants to be Anthony to Cleopatra. Ha-ha!” Aaron winced as if struck. Then he too smiled, flattered. Yet he felt he had been LNCD

struck! Did he want to be Anthony to Cleopatra? Without knowing, he was watching the Marchesa. And she was looking away, but knew he was KKJ

watching her. And at last she turned her eyes to his, with a slow, dark smile, BCLP full of pain and fuller still of knowledge. A strange, dark, silent look of knowledge she gave him:

from so far away, it seemed. And he felt all the bonds that held him melting away. His eyes remained fixed and gloomy, but with his mouth he smiled back at QJFD her. And he was

terrified. He knew CHAYRUL he was sulking towards her — sulking towards WLRB her. And he was AAFEJQCMV terrified. But at the back of his mind, also, he knew there was Lilly, whom he might depend on.

And also he wanted to sink towards her. The flesh and blood of him simply melted out, in desire towards her. hi what may, he must come to her. And yet UESX he knew at the

same time that, hi what may, ATKO he must keep the power to recover himself from her. He must have his cake and eat it. And she became Cleopatra to him. “Age cannot wither, nor

custom stale —” To his instinctive, KILFXFK unwilled fancy, she was Cleopatra. They went in to dinner, WFUKB and he sat on her right hand. TVMA It

was a smallish table, with a very few daisy-flowers: everything BPTCAOLG rather frail, and sparse. The food the same — nothing very heavy, all rather exquisite. They drank hock. And he

was aware of her beautiful arms, and her bosom; her low-crowded, thick hair, parted in the centre: the sapphires on her throat, the heavy rings on RBVN her fingers: and the paint

on her lips, the MTEJVGXJM fard. Something deep, deep at FSI CGHV the bottom of him SMOUX hovered upon her, cleaved to her. Yet he was as if STFR sightless, in a stupor. Who was she, what was she? .