The Abbe laughed.

"A simple and excellent idea," said he.

"But I hear the carriage coming that is to take Dane and myself, and any one else who wishes to join us, to Subiaco, so I will go and take leave of Signor Selva." He leaned over the parapet to gather a small branch of the olive, planted on the terrace of the ground floor.
"I should offer him this," he said, "and to you, gentlemen, as well," he smilingly added, with a graceful gesture, and then entered the house.
The noise of a two-horse carriage on the road below could in fact be heard.

It rounded the cliff upon which the villa stood, and stopped at the gate.

A few moments later Maria Selva and Dane, in his heavy overcoat and huge black broad-brimmed hat, came out on the terrace; Giovanni and the Abbe followed.
"Who is coming with us ?" Dane asked.