"Who is coming with us?" Dane asked. No one answered. Above the deep
rumbling of the Anio, voices and steps could be heard approaching the
villa from the gate. Minucci, who was standing at the eastern end of the
terrace, looked down, and said:
"Ladies. Two ladies."
Maria gasped. "Two ladies?" she exclaimed. Hastening to the parapet she
perceived two white figures ascending slowly; they were at the first
turning of the steep little path. It was impossible to recognise the
figures, they were still too far away, and it was too dark. Giovanni
observed that they were probably people coming to the first floor to see
the proprietors of the house. Professor Dane smiled mysteriously.
"They may be coming to the second floor," said he.
Maria exclaimed:
"You know something about this!" and called down:
"_Noemi, est-ce vous?_"
Noemi's clear voice answered:
"_Oui, c'est nous!_"
Another female voice was heard saying aloud to her:
"What a child! You should have kept quiet!"
Maria gave a little cry of joy and disappeared, running down the winding
stairway.
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