"
And he kissed her on the mouth by way of a beginning.
"What will Baroni say?" she whispered, with a covert smile.
"He'll wish he was young, as we are, so that he could love--as we do," he
replied triumphantly.
Diana laughed at him for an arrogant lover, then sighed at a memory she
knew of.
"I think he _has_ loved--as we do," she chided gently.
Max's arm tightened round her.
"Then he's in need of envy, beloved, for love like ours is the most
wonderful thing life has to give."
They were silent a moment, and then the quick instinct of lovers told
them they were no longer alone.
Baroni stood on the threshold of the room, frowning heavily.
"So!" he exclaimed, grimly addressing Max. "This, then, is how you
travel in haste to Paris?"
Startled, Diana sprang to her feet, and would have drawn herself away,
but Max laughed joyously, and still keeping her hand in his, led her
towards Baroni.
"_We_ travel to Paris to-morrow," he said. "Won't you--wish us luck,
Baroni?"
But luck was the last thing which the old _maestro_ was by way of wishing
them. For long he argued and expostulated upon the madness, as he termed
it, of Diana's renouncing her career, trying his utmost to dissuade her.
"You haf not counted the cost!" he fumed at her. "You cannot haf counted
the cost!"
But Diana only smiled at him.
"Yes, I have. And I'm glad it's going to cost me something--a good deal,
in fact--to go back to Max.
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