,butsherefusedtoadmitthatheknew.Shestillpretendedtohimthatthebabywastheonethingshewanted,andhadalwayswanted,andthatMissAbbottwashervaluedally.
Andwhen,nextweek,thereplycamefromItaly,sheshowedhimnofaceoftriumph.“Readtheletters,”shesaid.“Wehavefailed.”
Ginowroteinhisownlanguage,butthesolicitorshadsentalaboriousEnglishtranslation,where“PreghiatissimaSignora”wasrenderedas“MostPraiseworthyMadam,”andeverydelicatecomplimentandsuperlative—superlativesaredelicateinItalian—wouldhavefelledanox.ForamomentPhilipforgotthematterinthemannerthisgrotesquememorialofthelandhehadlovedmovedhimalmosttotears.Heknewtheoriginalsoftheselumberingphraseshealsohadsent“sincereauguries”healsohadaddressedletters—whowritesathome?—fromtheCaffeGaribaldi.“Ididn’tknowIwasstillsuchanass,”hethought.“Whycan’tIrealizethatit’smerelytricksofexpression?Abounder’sabounder,whetherhelivesinSawstonorMonteriano.”
“Isn’titdisheartening?”saidhismother.
HethenreadthatGinocouldnotacceptthegenerousoffer.Hispaternalheartwouldnotpermithimtoabandonthissymbolofhisdeploredspouse.Asforthepicturepost-cards,itdispleasedhimgreatlythattheyhadbeenobnoxious.Hewouldsendnomore.WouldMrs.Herriton,withhernotoriouskindness,explainthistoIrma,andthankherforthosewhichIrma(courteousMiss!)hadsenttohim?
“Thesumworksoutagainstus,”saidPhilip.“Orperhapsheisputtinguptheprice.”
“No,”saidMrs.Herritondecidedly.“Itisnotthat.Forsomeperversereasonhewillnotpartwiththechild.ImustgoandtellpoorCaroline.Shewillbeequallydistressed.”
Shereturnedfromthevisitinthemostextraordinarycondition.Herfacewasred,shepantedforbreath,thereweredarkcirclesroundhereyes.
“Theimpudence!”sheshouted.“Thecursedimpudence!Oh,I’mswearing.Idon’tcare.Thatbeastlywoman—howdaresheinterfere—I’ll—Philip,dear,I’msorry.It’snogood.Youmustgo.”
“Gowhere?Dositdown.What’shappened?”Thisoutburstofviolencefromhiselegantladylikemotherpainedhimdreadfully.Hehadnotknownthatitwasinher.
“Shewon’taccept—won’taccepttheletterasfinal.YoumustgotoMonteriano!”
“Iwon’t!”heshoutedback.“I’vebeenandI’vefailed.I’llneverseetheplaceagain.IhateItaly.”
“Ifyoudon’tgo,shewill.”
“Abbott?”
“Yes.Goingalonewouldstartthisevening.Iofferedtowriteshesaiditwas‘toolate!’Toolate!Thechild,ifyouplease—Irma’sbrother—tolivewithher,tobebroughtupbyherandherfatheratourverygates,togotoschoollikeagentleman,shepaying.Oh,you’reaman!Itdoesn’tmatterforyou.Youcanlaugh.ButIknowwhatpeoplesayandthatwomangoestoItalythisevening.”
Heseemedtobeinspired.“Thenlethergo!LethermesswithItalybyherself.She’llcometogriefsomehow.Italy’stoodangerous,too—”
“Stopthatnonsense,Philip.Iwillnotbedisgracedbyher.IWILLhavethechild.Payallwe’vegotforit.Iwillhaveit.”
“LethergotoItaly!”hecried.“Lethermeddlewithwhatshedoesn’tunderstand!Lookatthisletter!Themanwhowroteitwillmarryher,ormurderher,ordoforhersomehow.He’sabounder,buthe’snotanEnglishbounder.He’smysteriousandterrible.He’sgotacountrybehindhimthat’supsetpeoplefromthebeginningoftheworld.”
“Harriet!”exclaimedhismother.“Harrietshallgotoo.Harriet,now,willbeinvaluable!”AndbeforePhiliphadstoppedtalkingnonsense,shehadplannedthewholethingandwaslookingoutthetrains.