heventuredtoconcludethatitwaspretty,low.NordidLiliacontradicthim.Butshewassharpenoughtosay,“Indeed,Philip,yousurpriseme.Iunderstoodyouwentinforequalityandsoon.”
“AndIunderstoodthatSignorCarellawasamemberoftheItaliannobility.”
“Well,weputitlikethatinthetelegramsoasnottoshockdearMrs.Herriton.Butitistrue.Heisayoungerbranch.Ofcoursefamiliesramify—justasinyoursthereisyourcousinJoseph.”SheadroitlypickedouttheonlyundesirablememberoftheHerritonclan.“Gino’sfatheriscourtesyitself,andrisingrapidlyinhisprofession.ThisverymonthheleavesMonteriano,andsetsupatPoggibonsi.Andformyownpoorpart,Ithinkwhatpeopleareiswhatmatters,butIdon’tsupposeyou’llagree.AndIshouldlikeyoutoknowthatGino’suncleisapriest—thesameasaclergymanathome.”
PhilipwasawareofthesocialpositionofanItalianpriest,andsaidsomuchaboutitthatLiliainterruptedhimwith,“Well,hiscousin’salawyeratRome.”
“Whatkindof‘lawyer’?”
“Why,alawyerjustlikeyouare—exceptthathehaslotstodoandcannevergetaway.”
Theremarkhurtmorethanhecaredtoshow.Hechangedhismethod,andinagentle,conciliatingtonedeliveredthefollowingspeech:—
“Thewholethingislikeabaddream—sobadthatitcannotgoon.IftherewasoneredeemingfeatureaboutthemanImightbeuneasy.AsitisIcantrusttotime.Forthemoment,Lilia,hehastakenyouin,butyouwillfindhimoutsoon.Itisnotpossiblethatyou,alady,accustomedtoladiesandgentlemen,willtolerateamanwhosepositionis—well,notequaltothesonoftheservants’dentistinCoronationPlace.Iamnotblamingyounow.ButIblametheglamourofItaly—Ihavefeltitmyself,youknow—andIgreatlyblameMissAbbott.”
“Caroline!Whyblameher?What’sallthistodowithCaroline?”
“Becauseweexpectedherto—”Hesawthattheanswerwouldinvolvehimindifficulties,and,wavinghishand,continued,“SoIamconfident,andyouinyourheartagree,thatthisengagementwillnotlast.Thinkofyourlifeathome—thinkofIrma!AndI’llalsosaythinkofusforyouknow,Lilia,thatwecountyoumorethanarelation.IshouldfeelIwaslosingmyownsisterifyoudidthis,andmymotherwouldloseadaughter.”
Sheseemedtouchedatlast,forsheturnedawayherfaceandsaid,“Ican’tbreakitoffnow!”
“PoorLilia,”saidhe,genuinelymoved.“Iknowitmaybepainful.ButIhavecometorescueyou,and,book-wormthoughImaybe,Iamnotfrightenedtostanduptoabully.He’smerelyaninsolentboy.Hethinkshecankeepyoutoyourwordbythreats.Hewillbedifferentwhenheseeshehasamantodealwith.”
Whatfollowsshouldbeprefacedwithsomesimile—thesimileofapowder-mine,athunderbolt,anearthquake—foritblewPhilipupintheairandflattenedhimonthe