entogetherwhomshehasneverseen.”
“Oh,theEnglish!theyarealwaysthinkingoftea.Theycarryitbythekilogrammeintheirtrunks,andtheyaresoclumsythattheyalwayspackitatthetop.Butitisabsurd!”
“WhatamItodoaboutit?”
“Donothing.Oraskme!”
“Come!”criedGino,springingup.“Shewillbequitepleased.”
Thedashingyoungfellowcolouredcrimson.“OfcourseIwasonlyjoking.”
“Iknow.Butshewantsmetotakemyfriends.Comenow!Waiter!”
“IfIdocome,”criedtheother,“andtaketeawithyou,thisbillmustbemyaffair.”
“Certainlynotyouareinmycountry!”
Alongargumentensued,inwhichthewaitertookpart,suggestingvarioussolutions.AtlastGinotriumphed.Thebillcametoeightpence-halfpenny,andahalfpennyforthewaiterbroughtituptoninepence.Thentherewasashowerofgratitudeononesideandofdeprecationontheother,andwhencourtesieswereattheirheighttheysuddenlylinkedarmsandswungdownthestreet,ticklingeachotherwithlemonadestrawsastheywent.
Liliawasdelightedtoseethem,andbecamemoreanimatedthanGinohadknownherforalongtime.Theteatastedofchoppedhay,andtheyaskedtobeallowedtodrinkitoutofawine-glass,andrefusedmilkbut,assherepeatedlyobserved,thiswassomethinglike.Spiridione’smannerswereveryagreeable.Hekissedherhandonintroduction,andashisprofessionhadtaughthimalittleEnglish,conversationdidnotflag.
“Doyoulikemusic?”sheasked.
“Passionately,”hereplied.“Ihavenotstudiedscientificmusic,butthemusicoftheheart,yes.”
Sosheplayedonthehummingpianoverybadly,andhesang,notsobadly.Ginogotoutaguitarandsangtoo,sittingoutontheloggia.Itwasamostagreeablevisit.
Ginosaidhewouldjustwalkhisfriendbacktohislodgings.Astheywenthesaid,withouttheleasttraceofmaliceorsatireinhisvoice,“Ithinkyouarequiteright.Ishallnotbringpeopletothehouseanymore.IdonotseewhyanEnglishwifeshouldbetreateddifferently.ThisisItaly.”
“Youareverywise,”exclaimedtheother“verywiseindeed.Themorepreciousapossessionthemorecarefullyitshouldbeguarded.”
Theyhadreachedthelodging,butwentonasfarastheCaffeGaribaldi,wheretheyspentalongandmostdelightfulevening.