Nevertheless he had at once a tender, chival-
rous feeling for his childish hostess that was
never forgotten, and was destined to give her
a peculiar place in his heart. For Fabian had
a heart, the first with which Faustula ever
came in touch. From that first afternoon,
he thought of her always as a helpless,
desolate creature whom he must not forget, to
whom he must make up, somehow, for the pite-
ous neglect that clung about her: and being
of a silent, thoughtful nature, merry as he was,
his f eehng towards her was hidden within him-
self, like a sacred emotion of which it would
be coarse and vulgar to speak.
CHAPTER X

WHEN Sabina led her guest out into the
garden they found Fabian and Faus-
tula on excellent terms, which caused Sabina
to suspect that he must be rather a milk-sop.
The fact that her brother had declared him the
most interesting member of his family had not
particularly prejudiced her in his favour:
however, the boy had excellent manners and
was neither pert nor over talkative. She
noted with approval that he only spoke to her,
and to his mother in her presence, when ad-
dressed first.
Melania was a gentle, simple creature, quite
without stiffness or pomposity, but Sabina
had observed yesterday that her sons, in pubhc
at all events, treated her like a little queen,
with a deference that was none the less marked
that it was full of affectionate confid^ce. ,

"And where," Sabina asked, "are the oth-
ers?"

Fabian and her niece were in her eyes the
least important of the young people. Like
Tatius she had a leaning towards the heads of
families.
