She laughed gently, standing quite still. Her dress and her gloves were white, but she had on a small black hat, very French, and at the back of her hair there was a broad black ribbon tied in a big bow. This ribbon marked her exact age clearly, he thought. "This is a new frock, and my very smartest," she said; "and you dared to abuse Paris " "Being a man. I must retract now. You are right, we cannot do without it. But-have you an umbrella?" "An umbrella?" She moved and laughed again, much more gayly. "I am serious. Come here and look at Ischia." She went with him quickly to the window. "That blackness does look wicked. But it's a long way off." -from Chapter XII One of the most popular fiction writers of the early 20th century, Robert Hichens was beloved for the enchanting romance of his prose. In this 1907 novel, he graces us with a tale of heartache and heartbreak in sunny Naples, wrapping the yearning desires of men and women in the breathless beauty of the Italian seaside. Distinctly modern while also charmingly nostalgic, this transporting novel continues to thrill readers today. Also available from Cosimo Classics: Hichens' The Spell of Egypt OF INTEREST TO: readers of early-20th-century fiction, fans of romance novels, armchair travelers British novelist ROBERT SMYTHE HICHENS (1864-1950) also wrote The Garden of Allah, The Lady Who Lied, and The Paradine Case.