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the two Bucklands, but deliberately excluded Kent.
    Kent ordered some more coffees, but when the waiter brought them, Lawrence suddenly saw Dr. Fortini crossing the square and went out to greet him.
    Althea was the reverse of delighted at being left with these two men, who maintained between them an undercurrent of growling menace like a couple of dogs bristling at the sight of each other.
    ‘ I hear you were successful yesterday in persuading the old maestro to take Carla as a pupil, ’ Cristo remarked.
    ‘ No persuasion on my part. Carla ’ s own voice was all that mattered. ’ It was plain that Kent resented the notion that Carla was his protégée .
    Cristo stretched out his legs and leaned idly back in his chair. ‘ Althea and I felt we couldn ’ t sit about waiting who knows how long for the verdict, so we made other arrangements and had a very enjoyable day. ’
    ‘ Indeed! I ’ m glad to hear it. ’ Kent ’ s voice was icily lacking in joy.
    ‘ Yes. We lunched at the Regina, then I was able to show Althea several parts of Naples. In the evening we went to that new cabaret show near the harbour. That was very amusing. ’ Cristo chuckled as though in recollection.
    Kent stood up as Althea protested, ‘ Cristo! That ’ s not right at all! ’
    ‘ Give your father my apologies, Althea, ’ Kent growled. ‘ I must go now. ’ He put money on the table to pay for the drinks and in a few strides was far along the street.
    Althea glared in silence at first at Cristo. Then, controlling her indignation, she burst out in an angry, quiet tone, ‘ How dare you give him such a tale! You know it wasn ’ t anything like the truth. ’
    ‘ It was not very far away from the truth ,’ murmured Cristo, a smile playing around his lips.
    ‘ A long way out ,’ she declared hotly. ‘ You wouldn ’ t have said anything about staying in Naples for a cabaret if my father had been here at the table. He knew we came home for dinner .’
    Cristo shrugged. ‘ What matter? Carla told me he took her dancing last night, so I told him about the cabaret —’
    ‘ —which we did not visit ,’ she cut in.
    He smiled. ‘ No, but I like to let him know that he can ’ t have all the girls all the time .’ He turned towards Althea and folded his arms on the table and gazed intently at her face. ‘ Besides, you also treated me badly last night. You would not stay with me after dinner or walk in the garden or show me any kindness .’
    Althea longed to say that she had far more sense. Instead, she retorted, ‘ My father had been alone all day and I wanted to talk to him .’
    ‘ More than you wanted to talk to me? ’
    She returned his frank stare. ‘ At that moment, yes .’
    ‘ Then that means that sometimes you will prefer me? ’
    She shook her head and laughed. ‘ I didn ’ t say that at all .’ Her attitude towards him softened. In some ways he was young and vulnerable, unless that was a very clever pose on his part. He probably could not help his naturally ardent nature. ‘ I just wish you hadn ’ t told Kent a different version from the one I ’ d already told him .’
    His black eyes danced. ‘ Then it matters to you what he thinks? ’
    ‘ Not particularly .’ Althea spoke with an indifference that she did not feel, for it mattered considerably that Kent should not believe she would stoop to petty lies.
    ‘ I shall take you one morning to the Blue Grotto ,’ Cristo promised.
    But Althea was relieved when that particular invitation came to nothing, for the next day the wind ruffled the sea too much to enter the Grotto and the day after that Cristo had to leave for home.
    Signora Marchetti planned a special farewell dinner the night before Cristo ’ s departure and there was much laughter and excitement, for it was also to celebrate Carla ’ s acceptance as the maestro ’ s pupil.
    ‘ Tomorrow we will all go by the boat together, ’ Carla informed the company, ‘ I for my first lesson, Althea as my