"Mercy! It's too hot for conundrums." She spoke without impatience, but
with a lassitude less joyous than his.

He roused himself. "Do you really mind the heat so much? We'll go, if
you do."

She sat up eagerly. "Go to Switzerland, you mean?"

"Well, I hadn't taken quite as long a leap. I only meant we might drive
back to Siena."

She relapsed listlessly against her tree-trunk. "Oh, Siena's hotter than
this."

"We could go and sit in the cathedral--it's always cool there at
sunset."

"We've sat in the cathedral at sunset every day for a week."

"Well, what do you say to stopping at Lecceto on the way? I haven't
shown you Lecceto yet; and the drive back by moonlight would be
glorious."

This woke her to a slight show of interest. "It might be nice--but where
could we get anything to eat?"

Ralph laughed again. "I don't believe we could. You're too practical."

"Well, somebody's got to be. And the food in the hotel is too disgusting
if we're not on time."