" No day passed without some amusement at the
villa--picnic, excursion, soiree, dance, or, what its fair
mistress preferred, private theatricals and charades.
"Help me," she said one morning, as Ronald and Dora, in
compliance with her urgent invitation, came to spend the day at
the villa--"help me; I want to do something that will surprise
every one. There are some great English people coming to
Florence--one of your heiresses, who is at the same time a
beauty. We must have some grand charades or tableaus. What
would you advise? Think of something original that will take
Florence by surprise."
"Wishing any one to be original," said Ronald, smiling at her
quick, eager ways, "immediately deprives one of all thought. I
must have time; it seems to me you have exhausted every subject."
"An artist has never-failing resources," she replied; "when every
'fount of inspiration' is closed it will be time to tell me there
are no ideas. You must have seen many charades, Mrs. Thorne,"
she said, turning suddenly to Dora; "they are very popular in
England. Tell me of some."
Dora blushed.
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