Also they had some fresh mountain strawberries which Beppo had gathered that morning--perhaps they too might be pleasing to the signorina?
Constance nodded affirmatively, and added, with her eyes on the pig, that it might be pleasanter to eat outside where they could look at the view.
She became quite gay again over what she termed their afternoon tea-party, and her father had to remind her most insistently that if they wished to get down before darkness overtook them they must start at once.
An Italian twilight is short.

They paid for the food and presented a lira apiece to the children, leaving them silhouetted against the sky in a bobbing row shouting musical farewells.
Their host led them through the woods and out on to the brow of the mountain in order to start them down by the right path.

He regretted that he could not go all the way, but the sheep had still to be brought in for the night.

At the parting he was garrulous with directions.
The easiest way to get home now would be straight down the mountain to Grotta del Monte--he pointed out the brown-tiled roofs of a village far below them--there they could find donkeys or an ox-cart to take them back.

It was nine kilometres to Valedolmo.