toldbythehousemaidthatthingsseemedsounsettledthatshehadbetterleaveaswellhadtea,wrotesixletters,wasinterruptedbycookandhousemaid,bothweeping,askingherpardon,andimploringtobetakenback.Intheflushofvictorythedoor-bellrang,andtherewasthetelegram:“LiliaengagedtoItaliannobility.Writing.Abbott.”
“Noanswer,”saidMrs.Herriton.“GetdownMr.Philip’sGladstonefromtheattic.”
Shewouldnotallowherselftobefrightenedbytheunknown.Indeedsheknewalittlenow.ThemanwasnotanItaliannoble,otherwisethetelegramwouldhavesaidso.ItmusthavebeenwrittenbyLilia.Nonebutshewouldhavebeenguiltyofthefatuousvulgarityof“Italiannobility.”Sherecalledphrasesofthismorning’sletter:“Welovethisplace—Carolineissweeterthanever,andbusysketching—Italiansfullofsimplicityandcharm.”AndtheremarkofBaedeker,“Theinhabitantsarestillnotedfortheiragreeablemanners,”hadabalefulmeaningnow.IfMrs.Herritonhadnoimagination,shehadintuition,amoreusefulquality,andthepictureshemadetoherselfofLilia’sFIANCEdidnotprovealtogetherwrong.
SoPhilipwasreceivedwiththenewsthathemuststartinhalfanhourforMonteriano.Hewasinapainfulposition.ForthreeyearshehadsungthepraisesoftheItalians,buthehadnevercontemplatedhavingoneasarelative.Hetriedtosoftenthethingdowntohismother,butinhisheartofheartsheagreedwithherwhenshesaid,“Themanmaybeadukeorhemaybeanorgan-grinder.Thatisnotthepoint.IfLiliamarrieshimsheinsultsthememoryofCharles,sheinsultsIrma,sheinsultsus.ThereforeIforbidher,andifshedisobeyswehavedonewithherforever.”
“IwilldoallIcan,”saidPhilipinalowvoice.Itwasthefirsttimehehadhadanythingtodo.HekissedhismotherandsisterandpuzzledIrma.ThehallwaswarmandattractiveashelookedbackintoitfromthecoldMarchnight,andhedepartedforItalyreluctantly,asforsomethingcommonplaceanddull.
BeforeMrs.HerritonwenttobedshewrotetoMrs.Theobald,usingplainlanguageaboutLilia’sconduct,andhintingthatitwasaquestiononwhicheveryonemustdefinitelychoosesides.Sheadded,asifitwasanafterthought,thatMrs.Theobald’sletterhadarrivedthatmorning.
Justasshewasgoingupstairssherememberedthatshenevercoveredupthosepeas.Itupsethermorethananything,andagainandagainshestruckthebanisterswithvexation.Lateasitwas,shegotalanternfromthetool-shedandwentdownthegardentoraketheearthoverthem.Thesparrowshadtakeneveryone.Butcountlessfragmentsoftheletterremained,disfiguringthetidyground.