Part 23 (1/2)

MISS T. Inconvenienced! With haff a dozen healthy mosquitoes springing a surprise party on me all night! I should guess _so_. (_Noticing_ C.'S _face_.) But what in the land have you been about? Well, if that isn't real _tact_ now! I reckoned I'd been dealt a full hand in spots; but now I've seen you, I guess there's a straight flush against me, and I can just throw up. But you don't play Poker, _do_ you? Come along in, Poppa, do. [_She goes in with_ MR. T.

CULCH. (_alone, disenchanted_). I could _not_ have believed any amount of bites could have made such a terrible difference in her. She looks positively _plain_! I do trust they're not _permanent_, or really----!

[_He gazes meditatively down on the lapping water._

CHAPTER XXI.

+Wearing Rue with a Difference.+

SCENE--_The Steps of the Hotel Dandolo, about_ 11 A.M. PODBURY _is looking expectantly down the Grand Ca.n.a.l_, CULCHARD _is leaning upon the Bal.u.s.trade_.

PODB. Yes, met Bob just now. They've gone to the Europa, but we've arranged to take a gondola together, and go about. They're to pick me up here. Ah, that looks rather like them. (_A gondola approaches, with_ MISS PRENDERGAST _and_ BOB; PODBURY _goes down the steps to meet them_.) How are you, Miss Prendergast? Here I _am_, you see.

MISS P. (_ignoring_ C.'S _salute_). How do you do, Mr. Podbury? Surely you don't propose to go out in a gondola in _that_ hat!

PODB. (_taking off a brown ”pot-hat,” and inspecting it_). It--it's quite _decent_. It was new when I came away!

BOB (_who is surly this morning_). Hang it all, Patia! Do you want him to come out in a chimney-pot? Jump in, old fellow, never mind your tile?

PODB. (_apologetically_). I had a straw once--but I sat on it. I'm awfully sorry, Miss Prendergast. Look here, shall I go and see if I can buy one?

MISS P. Not now--it doesn't signify, for once. But a round hat and a gondola are really _too_ incongruous!

PODB. Are they? A lot of the Venetians seem to wear 'em. (_He steps in._) Now what are we going to do--just potter about?

MISS P. One hardly comes to Venice to _potter_! I thought we'd go and study the Carpaccios at the Church of the Schiavoni first--they won't take us more than an hour or so; then cross to San Giorgio Maggiore, and see the Tintorets, come back and get a general idea of the exterior of St. Mark's, and spend the afternoon at the Accademia.

PODB. (_with a slight absence of heartiness_). Capital! And--er--lunch at the Academy, I suppose?

MISS P. There does not happen to be a restaurant there--we shall see what time we have. I must say _I_ regard every minute of daylight spent on food here as a sinful waste.

BOB. Now just look here, Patia, if you _are_ bossing this show, you needn't go cutting us off our grub! What do _you_ say, Jem?

PODB. (_desperately anxious to please_). Oh, I don't know that I care about lunch myself--much. [_Their voices die away on the water._

CULCH. (_musing_). She might have _bowed_ to me!... _She_ has escaped the mosquitoes.... Ah, well, I doubt if she'll find those two particularly sympathetic companions! Now I _should_ enjoy a day spent in that way. Why shouldn't I, as it is? I dare say Maud will----

[_Turns and sees_ MR. TROTTER.

MR. T. My darter will be along presently. She's Cologning her cheeks--they've swelled up again some. I guess you want to Cologne _your_ cheeks--they're dreadful lumpy. I've just been on the Pi-azza again, Sir. It's curious now the want of enterprise in these Vernetians.

Any one would have expected they'd have thrown a couple or so of girder bridges across the ca.n.a.l between this and the Ri-alto, and run an elevator up the Campanile--but this ain't what you might call a _business_ city, Sir, and that's a fact. (_To_ MISS T. _as she appears_.) h.e.l.lo, Maud, the ice-water cool down your face any?

MISS T. Not _much_. My face just made that ice-water boil over. I don't believe I'll ever have a complexion again--it's divided up among several dozen mosquitoes, who've no use for one. But it's vurry consoling to look at _you_, Mr. Culchard, and feel there's a pair of us. Now what way do you propose we should endeavour to forget our sufferings?

CULCH. Well, we might spend the morning in St. Mark's----?

MISS T. The morning! Why, Poppa and I saw the entire show inside of ten minutes, before breakfast!

CULCH. Ah! (_Discouraged._) What do you say to studying the Vine and Fig-tree angles and the capitals of the arcades in the Ducal Palaces? I will go and fetch the _Stones of Venice_.