"What a cousin to have! Is he young?
is he handsome?
is he married ?" Instead of answering these questions, Carmina looked over her shoulder.
"Is this poor creature following us ?" she asked.
They had now turned to the right, and had entered a busy street leading directly to Covent Garden.

The "creature" (who was undoubtedly following them) was one of the starved and vagabond dogs of London.

Every now and then, the sympathies of their race lead these inveterate wanderers to attach themselves, for the time, to some human companion, whom their mysterious insight chooses from the crowd.

Teresa, with the hard feeling towards animals which is one of the serious defects of the Italian character, cried, "Ah, the mangy beast!" and lifted her umbrella.

The dog starred back, waited a moment, and followed them again as they went on.
Carmina's gentle heart gave its pity to this lost and hungry fellow-creature.