Part 9 (1/2)

'I play hand-organ, signorina.'

Tony removed his hand from the bridle and ground 'Yankee Doodle' from an imaginary instrument.

'I make musica, signorina, wif--wif--how do you say, monk, monka? His name Vittorio Emanuele. Ver' nice monk--simpatica affezionata.'

'You've never been an actor?'

'An actor? No, signorina.'

'You should try it; I fancy you might have some talent in that direction.'

'_Si_, signorina. Sank you.'

She let the conversation drop, and Tony, after an interval of silence, fell to humming Santa Lucia in a very presentable baritone. The tune, Constance noted, was true enough, but the words were far astray.

'That's a very pretty song, Tony, but you don't appear to know it.'

'I no understand Italian, signorina. I just learn ze tune because Costantina like it.'

'You do everything that Costantina wishes?'

'Everysing! But if you could see her you would not wonder. She has hair brown and gold, and her eyes, signorina, are sometimes grey and sometimes black, and her laugh sounds like----'

'Oh, yes, I know; you told me all that before.'

'When she goes out to work in ze morning, signorina, wif the sunlight s.h.i.+ning on her hair, and a smile on her lips, and a basket of clothes on her head---- Ah, _zen_ she is beautiful!'

'When are you going to be married?'

'I do not know, signorina. I have not asked her yet.'

'Then how do you know she wishes to marry you?'

'I do not know; I just hope.'

He rolled his eyes toward the moon which was rising above the mountains on the other side of the lake, and with a deep sigh he fell back into Santa Lucia.

Constance leaned forward and scanned his face.

'Tony! Tell me your name.' There was an undertone of meaning, a note of persuasion in her voice.

'Antonio, signorina.'

She shook her head with a show of impatience.

'Your real name--your last name.'

'Yamhankeesh.'

'Oh!' she laughed. 'Antonio Yamhankeesh doesn't seem to me a very musical combination; I don't think I ever heard anything like it before.'