The young man must find another bride." It was thus that Carlo Baroni received the news of Diana's engagement--at first with unmitigated horror, then sweeping it aside as though it were a matter of no consequence whatever.
Diana laughed, dimpling with amusement at the _maestro's_ indignation.
Now that she had given her faith, refusing to allow anything to stand between her and Max, she was so supremely happy that she felt she could afford to laugh at such relatively small obstacles as would be raised by her old singing-master.
"I'm afraid the 'young man' wouldn't agree to that," she returned gaily.

"He would say you must find another pupil." Baroni surveyed her with anxiety.
"You are not serious ?" he queried at last.
"Indeed I am.

I'm actually engaged--now, at this moment--and we propose to get married before Christmas." "But it is impossible! _Giusto Cielo_! But impossible!" reiterated the old man.

"Mees Quentin, you cannot haf understood.

Perhaps, in my anxiety that you should strain every nerve to improve, I haf not praised you enough--and so you haf not understood.