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〃No idea you were here： is the yacht in harbour？〃 he asked；
remembering that the Ibis must be just about to spread her
wings。
Mr。 Buttles； at salute behind his chair； signed a mute negation：
for the moment he seemed too embarrassed to speak。
〃Ahyou're here as an advance guard？ I remember nowI saw
Miss Hicks in Venice the day before yesterday；〃 Lansing
continued； dazed at the thought that hardly forty…eight hours
had passed since his encounter with Coral in the Scalzi。
Mr。 Buttles； instead of speaking； had tentatively approached his
table。 〃May I take this seat for a moment； Mr。 Lansing？ Thank
you。 No； I am not here as an advance guardthough I believe
the Ibis is due some time to…morrow。〃 He cleared his throat；
wiped his eyeglasses on a silk handkerchief； replaced them on
his nose； and went on solemnly： 〃Perhaps； to clear up any
possible misunderstanding； I ought to say that I am no longer in
the employ of Mr。 Hicks。〃
Lansing glanced at him sympathetically。 It was clear that he
suffered horribly in imparting this information； though his
compact face did not lend itself to any dramatic display of
emotion。
〃Really；〃 Nick smiled； and then ventured： 〃I hope it's not
owing to conscientious objections to Tiepolo？〃
Mr。 Buttles's blush became a smouldering agony。 〃Ah； Miss Hicks
mentioned to you 。。。 told you 。。。？ No； Mr。 Lansing。 I am
principled against the effete art of Tiepolo； and of all his
contemporaries； I confess； but if Miss Hicks chooses to
surrender herself momentarily to the unwholesome spell of the
Italian decadence it is not for me to protest or to criticize。
Her intellectual and aesthetic range so far exceeds my humble
capacity that it would be ridiculous； unbecoming 。。。。〃
He broke off； and once more wiped a faint moisture from his
eyeglasses。 It was evident that he was suffering from a
distress which he longed and yet dreaded to communicate。 But
Nick made no farther effort to bridge the gulf of his own
preoccupations； and Mr。 Buttles； after an expectant pause； went
on： 〃If you see me here to…day it is only because； after a
somewhat abrupt departure； I find myself unable to take leave of
our friends without a last look at the Ibisthe scene of so
many stimulating hours。 But I must beg you；〃 he added
earnestly； 〃should you see Miss Hicksor any other member of
the partyto make no allusion to my presence in Genoa。 I
wish；〃 said Mr。 Buttles with simplicity； 〃to preserve the
strictest incognito。〃
Lansing glanced at him kindly。 〃Oh； butisn't that a little
unfriendly？〃
〃No other course is possible； Mr。 Lansing；〃 said the ex…
secretary； 〃and I commit myself to your discretion。 The truth
is； if I am here it is not to look once more at the Ibis； but at
Miss Hicks： once only。 You will understand me； and appreciate
what I am suffering。〃
He bowed again； and trotted away on his small； tightly…booted
feet； pausing on the threshold to say： 〃From the first it was
hopeless；〃 before he disappeared through the glass doors。
A gleam of commiseration flashed through Nick's mind： there was
something quaintly poignant in the sight of the brisk and
efficient Mr。 Buttles reduced to a limp image of unrequited
passion。 And what a painful surprise to the Hickses to be thus
suddenly deprived of the secretary who possessed 〃the foreign
languages〃！ Mr。 Beck kept the accounts and settled with the
hotel…keepers； but it was Mr。 Buttles's loftier task to
entertain in their own tongues the unknown geniuses who flocked
about the Hickses； and Nick could imagine how disconcerting his
departure must be on the eve of their Grecian cruise which Mrs。
Hicks would certainly call an Odyssey。
The next moment the vision of Coral's hopeless suitor had faded；
and Nick was once more spinning around on the wheel of his own
woes。 The night before； when he had sent his note to Susy； from
a little restaurant close to Palazzo Vanderlyn that they often
patronized； he had done so with the firm intention of going away
for a day or two in order to collect his wits and think over the
situation。 But after his letter had been entrusted to the
landlord's little son； who was a particular friend of Susy's；
Nick had decided to await the lad's return。 The messenger had
not been bidden to ask for an answer； but Nick； knowing the
friendly and inquisitive Italian mind； was almost sure that the
boy； in the hope of catching a glimpse of Susy； would linger
about while the letter was carried up。 And he pictured the maid
knocking at his wife's darkened room； and Susy dashing some
powder on her tear…stained face before she turned on the light
poor foolish child！
The boy had returned rather sooner than Nick expected； and he
had brought no answer； but merely the statement that the
signora was out： that everybody was out。
〃Everybody？〃
〃The signora and the four gentlemen who were dining at the
palace。 They all went out together on foot soon after dinner。
There was no one to whom I could give the note but the gondolier
on the landing； for the signora had said she would be very late；
and had sent the maid to bed； and the maid had； of course； gone
out immediately with her innamorato。〃
〃Ah〃 said Nick； slipping his reward into the boy's hand； and
walking out of the restaurant。
Susy had gone outgone out with their usual band； as she did
every night in these sultry summer weeks； gone out after her
talk with Nick； as if nothing had happened； as if his whole
world and hers had not crashed in ruins at their feet。 Ah； poor
Susy！ After all； she had merely obeyed the instinct of self
preservation； the old hard habit of keeping up； going ahead and
hiding her troubles； unless indeed the habit had already
engendered indifference； and it had become as easy for her as
for most of her friends to pass from drama to dancing； from
sorrow to the cinema。 What of soul was left； he wondered？
His train did not start till midnight； and after leaving the
restaurant Nick tramped the sultry by…ways till his tired legs
brought him to a standstill under the vine…covered pergola of a
gondolier's wine…shop at a landing close to the Piazzetta。
There he could absorb cooling drinks until it was time to go to
the station。
It was after eleven； and he was beginning to look about for a
boat； when a black prow pushed up to the steps； and with much
chaff and laughter a party of young people in evening dress
jumped out。 Nick； from under the darkness of the vine； saw that
there was only one lady among them； and it did not need the lamp
above the landing to reveal her identity。 Susy； bareheaded and
laughing； a light scarf slipping from her bare shoulders； a
cigarette between her fingers； took Strefford's arm and turned
in the direction of Florian's； with Gillow； the Prince and young
Breckenridge in her wake 。。。。
Nick had relived this rapid scene hundreds of times during his
hours