tion of a certain babyish voice, that in spite of her annoyance, Mrs. Lawrence laughed.
"You are not fair to that child," she exclaimed after a moment, with some heat.
"Oh! I think I do her justice," returned the other lady.
Mrs. Lawrence had intended asking Mrs. Coltingham to accompany her to the Uffizi that afternoon, but she refrained. There were moments when she did not like Mrs. Coltingham. It was all very well to be a woman of the world; she, Mrs. Lawrence, was that herself, heaven was aware, but it was another thing to be hard and suspicious; to feel no pity for youth and misfortune so touchingly allied as in the case of little Mrs. Villiers. She was disappointed in Mrs. Coltingham. It was sad to have to admit that even a woman so much above the average as this one, could not rise above vulgar prejudice.
It was with these reflections passing through her mind, while she stood buttoning her gloves in the hall, that she encountered the padrone, Signora Valli, also ready to start from the house.
Mrs. Lawrence was going in her direction. She would in that case case be more than charmed to accompany her. Ecco! The post. Two for Madame Lawrence. Ah! one, and she hoped a pleasant one, for dear little Mrs. Villiers, the rest Guiseppe could sort, and arrange on the hall table.
Thus, amidst torrents of English fluent enough if strongly
