erewasimmediatelyconfidencebetweenthem.
“HerebeginneththeNewLife,”saidPhilip.
“Poorchild,howvulgar!”murmuredMrs.Herriton.“It’ssurprisingthatsheisn’tworse.ButshehasgotalookofpoorCharlesabouther.”
“And—alas,alas!—alookofoldMrs.Theobald.Whatappallingapparitionwasthat!Ididthinktheladywasbedriddenaswellasimbecile.Whyeverdidshecome?”
“Mr.Kingcroftmadeher.Iamcertainofit.HewantedtoseeLiliaagain,andthiswastheonlyway.”
“Ihopeheissatisfied.Ididnotthinkmysister-in-lawdistinguishedherselfinherfarewells.”
Mrs.Herritonshuddered.“Imindnothing,solongasshehasgone—andgonewithMissAbbott.Itismortifyingtothinkthatawidowofthirty-threerequiresagirltenyearsyoungertolookafterher.”
“IpityMissAbbott.FortunatelyoneadmirerischainedtoEngland.Mr.Kingcroftcannotleavethecropsortheclimateorsomething.Idon’tthink,either,heimprovedhischancestoday.He,aswellasLilia,hastheknackofbeingabsurdinpublic.”
Mrs.Herritonreplied,“Whenamanisneitherwellbred,norwellconnected,norhandsome,norclever,norrich,evenLiliamaydiscardhimintime.”
“No.Ibelieveshewouldtakeanyone.Rightuptothelast,whenherboxeswerepacked,shewas‘playing’thechinlesscurate.Boththecuratesarechinless,buthershadthedampesthands.IcameontheminthePark.TheywerespeakingofthePentateuch.”
“Mydearboy!Ifpossible,shehasgotworseandworse.ItwasyourideaofItaliantravelthatsavedus!”
Philipbrightenedatthelittlecompliment.“Theoddpartisthatshewasquiteeager—alwaysaskingmeforinformationandofcourseIwasverygladtogiveit.IadmitsheisaPhilistine,appallinglyignorant,andhertasteinartisfalse.Still,tohaveanytasteatallissomething.AndIdobelievethatItalyreallypurifiesandennoblesallwhovisither.Sheistheschoolaswellastheplaygroundoftheworld.ItisreallytoLilia’screditthatshewantstogothere.”
“Shewouldgoanywhere,”saidhismother,whohadheardenoughofthepraisesofItaly.“IandCarolineAbbotthadthegreatestdifficultyindissuadingherfromtheRiviera.”
“No,Motherno.ShewasreallykeenonItaly.Thistravelisquiteacrisisforher.”Hefoundthesituationfullofwhimsicalromance:therewassomethinghalfattractive,halfrepellentinthethoughtofthisvulgarwomanjourneyingtoplaceshelovedandrevered.Whyshouldshenotbetransfigured?ThesamehadhappenedtotheGoths.
Mrs.Herritondidnotbelieveinromancenorintransfiguration,norinparallelsfromhistory,norinanythingelsethatmaydisturbdomesticlife.S