I'm glad of it, for we should have fallen out." I smiled in a somewhat sickly way, and took refuge in my cup.

When I emerged, I asked: "And when is it to be ?" "Next Saturday." "So soon ?" "Yes," he said.

"Fact is, between you and me, Martin, she's ready enough." This was too disgusting.

But whether the colonel was deceiving me, or the signorina had deceived him, I didn't know--a little bit of both, probably.

I saw, however, what the colonel's game was plainly enough; he was, in his clumsy way, warning me off his preserves, for, of course, he knew my pretensions, and probably that they had met with some success, and I don't think I imposed on him very much.