Blood will tell, they say, and the monk who taught her must
have been an intelligent and careful man."
"She knows more of history and languages than all the rest of us put
together," added Beth.
"And, having adopted her, we mustn't do the thing by halves," concluded
Patsy; "so our darling little brigandess must tease her papa to let her
stay with us as long as possible."
Tato smiled and blushed with pleasure. It was very delightful to know
she had such enthusiastic friends. But she was afraid the Duke would not
like to spare her for so long a time as a visit to America would
require.
"You leave him to me," said Uncle John. "I'll argue the case clearly and
logically, and after that he will have to cave in gracefully."
Meantime the dainty gowns and pretty costumes were one by one finished
and sent to the hotel, and the girls ransacked the rather inadequate
shops of Syracuse for the smartest things in lingerie that could be
procured. As they were determined to "try everything on" and see how
their protege looked in her finery, Tato was now obliged to dress for
dinner and on every other possible occasion, and she not only astonished
her friends by her loveliness but drew the eye of every stranger as
surely as the magnet attracts the needle.
Even in Sicily, where the Greek type of beauty to-day exists more
perfectly than in Helene, there were few to compare with Tato, and it
was only natural that the Americans should be very proud of her.
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