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180 | WILD MARGARET.
brother, live there. It is called the Villa Capri; and, do
you know, there are some beautiful views from it. I
were sure you wouldn’t be offended, I would ask you! to
come and pay us a visit, and see if you could not make a
picture of the river running below the woods. Oh, I would
like that!” i 4
Something in the girl’s voice attracted Margaret’s atten-
tion,
‘* Are you Italian?”’ she said. ,
‘Half and half,”? was the reply. with a laugh. ‘‘My
father was Italian, my mother is English. I call myself
all English—please do not forget that!’ she added, with
all an English girl’s frankness. ‘‘ My brother, we say,
represents the Italian side of the family. I should like
you to know him. He is out riding this morning——”
Almost as she spoke a. voice sang out clear and musical
above the trees: :
_ ‘Florence! Florence!’’
The girl laughed and sprung to her feet, then she sunk -
down again as quickly. .
“Tt is Ferdy!” she said. ‘‘Let him find me if he can!
and ina falsetto which rang quaintly through the hills,
she called, ‘‘Ferdy! Ferdy!”
Margaret heard the dull beat of a horse’s hoofs as the .
rider rode this way and that, misled by the echo, then, as,
tired of the sport, the girl sprung to her feet and shouted
with a full round tone, Margaret saw a handsome young
fellow ride pell-mell at them. - .
‘Oh, take care, take care, Ferdy!’? shouted the girl;
but the warning came too late; the horse struck the leg
of the easel with its fore hoof, and over went the whole
apparatus, paint box, brushes, and the rest, leaving Mar-
garet sitting smiling amidst the ruins.
The girl uttered a cry of dismay, and the young fellow, .
almost before he had pulled the horse in, flung himself
-from the saddle and stood bareheaded and penitent before |
Margaret.
“Oh, Ferdy, Ferdy, how could you be so reckless?” ex
_ claimed the girl.
He put up his hand as if to silence her; then, as he
went on his knees to recover the scattered implements, he
said: -
‘*Signorina, I am overwhelmed with shame! Believe
me, I did not suspect that any one was here beside this
madcap sister of mine! Pardon me, I pray you! Have
broken anything?—have I frightened you? I shall never
forgive myself! Is that right?” and he put the easel in its
place with the greatest and most anxious care.
‘Thank you, yes,” said Margaret. ‘‘ No harm has been