talitydeepdowninhim,andonedayLilianearlytouchedit.
Itwastheoldquestionofgoingoutalone.
“IalwaysdoitinEngland.”
“ThisisItaly.”
“Yes,butI’molderthanyou,andI’llsettle.”
“Iamyourhusband,”hesaid,smiling.Theyhadfinishedtheirmid-daymeal,andhewantedtogoandsleep.Nothingwouldrousehimup,untilatlastLilia,gettingmoreandmoreangry,said,“AndI’vegotthemoney.”
Helookedhorrified.
Nowwasthemomenttoassertherself.Shemadethestatementagain.Hegotupfromhischair.
“Andyou’dbettermendyourmanners,”shecontinued,“foryou’dfinditawkwardifIstoppeddrawingcheques.”
Shewasnoreaderofcharacter,butshequicklybecamealarmed.AsshesaidtoPerfettaafterwards,“Noneofhisclothesseemedtofit—toobiginoneplace,toosmallinanother.”Hisfigureratherthanhisfacealtered,theshouldersfallingforwardtillhiscoatwrinkledacrossthebackandpulledawayfromhiswrists.Heseemedallarms.Heedgedroundthetabletowhereshewassitting,andshesprangawayandheldthechairbetweenthem,toofrightenedtospeakortomove.Helookedatherwithround,expressionlesseyes,andslowlystretchedouthislefthand.
Perfettawasheardcomingupfromthekitchen.Itseemedtowakehimup,andheturnedawayandwenttohisroomwithoutaword.
“Whathashappened?”criedLilia,nearlyfainting.“Heisill—ill.”
Perfettalookedsuspiciouswhensheheardtheaccount.“Whatdidyousaytohim?”Shecrossedherself.
“Hardlyanything,”saidLiliaandcrossedherselfalso.Thusdidthetwowomenpayhomagetotheiroutragedmale.
ItwascleartoLiliaatlastthatGinohadmarriedherformoney.Buthehadfrightenedhertoomuchtoleaveanyplaceforcontempt.Hisreturnwasterrifying,forhewasfrightenedtoo,imploringherpardon,lyingatherfeet,embracingher,murmuring“ItwasnotI,”strivingtodefinethingswhichhedidnotunderstand.Hestoppedinthehouseforthreedays,positivelyillwithphysicalcollapse.Butforallhissufferinghehadtamedher,andsheneverthreatenedtocutoffsuppliesagain.
Perhapshekeptherevencloserthanconventiondemanded.Buthewasveryyoung,a