poseofwakingtheplaceup,andcoasteddowntheHighStreetoneSundayevening,fallingoffattheturnbythechurch.Ifshehadnotbeenarelative,itwouldhavebeenentertaining.ButevenPhilip,whointheorylovedoutragingEnglishconventions,rosetotheoccasion,andgaveheratalkingwhichsherememberedtoherdyingday.Itwasjustthen,too,thattheydiscoveredthatshestillallowedMr.Kingcrofttowritetoher“asagentlemanfriend,”andtosendpresentstoIrma.
PhilipthoughtofItaly,andthesituationwassaved.Caroline,charming,sober,CarolineAbbott,wholivedtwoturningsaway,wasseekingacompanionforayear’stravel.Liliagaveupherhouse,soldhalfherfurniture,lefttheotherhalfandIrmawithMrs.Herriton,andhadnowdeparted,amiduniversalapproval,forachangeofscene.
Shewrotetothemfrequentlyduringthewinter—morefrequentlythanshewrotetohermother.Herletterswerealwaysprosperous.Florenceshefoundperfectlysweet,Naplesadream,butverywhiffy.InRomeonehadsimplytositstillandfeel.Philip,however,declaredthatshewasimproving.Hewasparticularlygratifiedwhenintheearlyspringshebegantovisitthesmallertownsthathehadrecommended.“Inaplacelikethis,”shewrote,“onereallydoesfeelintheheartofthings,andoffthebeatentrack.LookingoutofaGothicwindoweverymorning,itseemsimpossiblethatthemiddleageshavepassedaway.”TheletterwasfromMonteriano,andconcludedwithanotunsuccessfuldescriptionofthewonderfullittletown.
“Itissomethingthatsheiscontented,”saidMrs.Herriton.“ButnoonecouldlivethreemonthswithCarolineAbbottandnotbethebetterforit.”
JustthenIrmacameinfromschool,andshereadhermother’slettertoher,carefullycorrectinganygrammaticalerrors,forshewasaloyalsupporterofparentalauthority—Irmalistenedpolitely,butsoonchangedthesubjecttohockey,inwhichherwholebeingwasabsorbed.Theyweretovoteforcoloursthatafternoon—yellowandwhiteoryellowandgreen.Whatdidhergrandmotherthink?
OfcourseMrs.Herritonhadanopinion,whichshesedatelyexpounded,inspiteofHarriet,whosaidthatcolourswereunnecessaryforchildren,andofPhilip,whosaidthattheywereugly.ShewasgettingproudofIrma,whohadcertainlygreatlyimproved,andcouldnolongerbecalledthatmostappallingofthings—avulgarchild.Shewasanxioustoformherbeforehermotherreturned.Soshehadnoobjectiontotheleisurelymovementsofthetravellers,andevensuggestedthattheyshouldoverstaytheiryearifitsuitedthem.
Lilia’snextletterwasalsofromMonteriano,andPhilipgrewquiteenthusiastic.