r!”
“Oh,whatistobedone?”moanedHarriet.“Whatistobedone?”
“Thisfirst!”Shetoretheletterintolittlepiecesandscattereditoverthemould.“Next,atelegramforLilia!No!atelegramforMissCarolineAbbott.She,too,hassomethingtoexplain.”
“Oh,whatistobedone?”repeatedHarriet,asshefollowedhermothertothehouse.Shewashelplessbeforesucheffrontery.Whatawfulthing—whatawfulpersonhadcometoLilia?“Someoneinthehotel.”Theletteronlysaidthat.Whatkindofperson?Agentleman?AnEnglishman?Theletterdidnotsay.
“WirereasonofstayatMonteriano.Strangerumours,”readMrs.Herriton,andaddressedthetelegramtoAbbott,Stellad’Italia,Monteriano,Italy.“Ifthereisanofficethere,”sheadded,“wemightgetananswerthisevening.SincePhilipisbackatseven,andtheeight-fifteencatchesthemidnightboatatDover—Harriet,whenyougowiththis,get100poundsin5poundnotesatthebank.”
“Go,dear,atoncedonottalk.IseeIrmacomingbackgoquickly....Well,Irmadear,andwhoseteamareyouinthisafternoon—MissEdith’sorMissMay’s?”
Butassoonasshehadbehavedasusualtohergrand-daughter,shewenttothelibraryandtookoutthelargeatlas,forshewantedtoknowaboutMonteriano.Thenamewasinthesmallestprint,inthemidstofawoolly-browntangleofhillswhichwerecalledthe“Sub-Apennines.”ItwasnotsoveryfarfromSiena,whichshehadlearntatschool.Pastittherewanderedathinblackline,notchedatintervalslikeasaw,andsheknewthatthiswasarailway.Butthemapleftagooddealtoimagination,andshehadnotgotany.Shelookeduptheplacein“ChildeHarold,”butByronhadnotbeenthere.NordidMarkTwainvisititinthe“TrampAbroad.”Theresourcesofliteraturewereexhausted:shemustwaittillPhilipcamehome.AndthethoughtofPhilipmadehertryPhilip’sroom,andthereshefound“CentralItaly,”byBaedeker,andopeneditforthefirsttimeinherlifeandreadinitasfollows:—
MONTERIANO(pop.4800).Hotels:Stellad’Italia,moderateonlyGlobo,dirty.*CaffeGaribaldi.PostandTelegraphofficeinCorsoVittorioEmmanuele,nexttotheatre.PhotographsatSeghena’s(cheaperinFlorence).Diligence(1lira)meetsprincipaltrains.
Chiefattractions(2-3hours):SantaDeodata,PalazzoPubblico,Sant’Agostino,SantaCaterina,Sant’Ambrogio,PalazzoCapocchi.Guide(2lire)unnecessary.AwalkroundtheWallsshouldonnoaccountbeomitted.TheviewfromtheRocca(smallgratuity)isfinestatsunset.
History:Monteriano,theMonsRianusofAntiquity,whoseGhibellinetendenciesarenotedbyDante(Purg.xx.),definitelyemancipateditselffromPoggi