_already_! Well, Mr. CULCHARD will be along soon, and I'll loan him
to you. I'll tell him you're vurry anxious to converse with him some
more. He's just coming along now, with Mr. PODBURY and Poppa.

_Miss P._ (_under her breath_). MAUD! if you _dare_--!

_Miss T._ Don't you _dare_ me, then--or you'll see. But I don't want
to be mean unless I'm obliged to.

[_Mr. TROTTER, followed by CULCHARD and PODBURY, arrives
at the upper platform. CULCHARD and PODBURY efface
themselves as much as possible. Mr. TROTTER greets Miss
PRENDERGAST heartily._

_Mr. T._ Well now, I call this sociable, meeting all together again
like this. I don't see why in the land we didn't _keep_ together. I've
been saying so to my darter here, ever since Bellagio--ain't that so,
MAUD? And _she_ didn't know just how it came about either.

_Miss P._ (_hurriedly_). We--we had to be getting on. And I am afraid
we must say good-bye now, Mr. TROTTER. I want BOB and Mr. PODBURY
to see the Da Vinci fresco, you know, before the light goes. (Bob
_mutters a highly disrespectful wish concerning that work of Art._) We
_may_ see you again, before we leave for Verona.

_Mr. T._ Verona? Well, I don't care if I see Verona myself. Seems a
pity to separate now we _have_ met, _don't_ it? See here, now, we'll
_all_ go along to Verona together--how's that, MAUD? Start whenever
_you_ feel like it, Miss PRENDERGAST. How does that proposal strike
you? I'll be real hurt if you cann't take to my idea.