groundandswallowedhimupinthedepths.Liliaturnedonhergallantdefenderandsaid—
“ForonceinmylifeI’llthankyoutoleavemealone.I’llthankyourmothertoo.Fortwelveyearsyou’vetrainedmeandtorturedme,andI’llstanditnomore.DoyouthinkI’mafool?DoyouthinkIneverfelt?Ah!whenIcametoyourhouseapooryoungbride,howyoualllookedmeover—neverakindword—anddiscussedme,andthoughtImightjustdoandyourmothercorrectedme,andyoursistersnubbedme,andyousaidfunnythingsaboutmetoshowhowcleveryouwere!AndwhenCharlesdiedIwasstilltoruninstringsforthehonourofyourbeastlyfamily,andIwastobecoopedupatSawstonandlearntokeephouse,andallmychancesspoiltofmarryingagain.No,thankyou!No,thankyou!‘Bully?’‘Insolentboy?’Who’sthat,pray,butyou?But,thankgoodness,Icanstandupagainsttheworldnow,forI’vefoundGino,andthistimeImarryforlove!”
Thecoarsenessandtruthofherattackalikeoverwhelmedhim.Buthersupremeinsolencefoundhimwords,andhetooburstforth.
“Yes!andIforbidyoutodoit!Youdespiseme,perhaps,andthinkI’mfeeble.Butyou’remistaken.Youareungratefulandimpertinentandcontemptible,butIwillsaveyouinordertosaveIrmaandourname.Thereisgoingtobesucharowinthistownthatyouandhe’llbesorryyoucametoit.Ishallshrinkfromnothing,formybloodisup.Itisunwiseofyoutolaugh.IforbidyoutomarryCarella,andIshalltellhimsonow.”
“Do,”shecried.“Tellhimsonow.Haveitoutwithhim.Gino!Gino!Comein!Avanti!FraFilippoforbidsthebanns!”
Ginoappearedsoquicklythathemusthavebeenlisteningoutsidethedoor.
“FraFilippo’sblood’sup.Heshrinksfromnothing.Oh,takecarehedoesn’thurtyou!”SheswayedaboutinvulgarimitationofPhilip’swalk,andthen,withaproudglanceatthesquareshouldersofherbetrothed,flouncedoutoftheroom.
Didsheintendthemtofight?Philiphadnointentionofdoingsoandnomore,itseemed,hadGino,whostoodnervouslyinthemiddleoftheroomwithtwitchinglipsandeyes.
“Pleasesitdown,SignorCarella,”saidPhilipinItalian.“Mrs.Herritonisratheragitated,butthereisnoreasonweshouldnotbecalm.MightIofferyouacigarette?Pleasesitdown.”
Herefusedthecigaretteandthechair,andremainedstandinginthefullglareofthelamp.Philip,notaversetosuchassistance,gothisownfaceintoshadow.
Foralongtimehewassilent.ItmightimpressGino,anditalsogavehimtimetocollecthimself.Hewouldnotthistimefallintotheerrorofblustering,whichhehadcaughtsounaccountablyfromLilia.Hewouldmakehispowerfeltbyrestraint.
Why,whenhelookeduptobegin,wasGinoconvulsedwithsilentlaughter?Itvanishedimmediatelybuthebecamenervous,andwasevenmorepompousthanheintended.
“S