meintotheworld.ToherimaginationMonterianohadbecomeamagiccityofvice,beneathwhosetowersnopersoncouldgrowuphappyorpure.Sawston,withitssemi-detachedhousesandsnobbyschools,itsbookteasandbazaars,wascertainlypettyanddullattimesshefounditevencontemptible.Butitwasnotaplaceofsin,andatSawston,eitherwiththeHerritonsorwithherself,thebabyshouldgrowup.
Assoonasitwasinevitable,Mrs.HerritonwrotealetterforWatersandAdamsontosendtoGino—theoddestletterPhilipsawacopyofitafterwards.Itsostensiblepurposewastocomplainofthepicturepostcards.Rightattheend,inafewnonchalantsentences,sheofferedtoadoptthechild,providedthatGinowouldundertakenevertocomenearit,andwouldsurrendersomeofLilia’smoneyforitseducation.
“Whatdoyouthinkofit?”sheaskedherson.“Itwouldnotdotolethimknowthatweareanxiousforit.”
“Certainlyhewillneversupposethat.”
“Butwhateffectwilltheletterhaveonhim?”
“Whenhegetsithewilldoasum.Ifitislessexpensiveinthelongruntopartwithalittlemoneyandtobeclearofthebaby,hewillpartwithit.Ifhewouldlose,hewilladoptthetoneofthelovingfather.”
“Dear,you’reshockinglycynical.”Afterapausesheadded,“Howwouldthesumworkout?”
“Idon’tknow,I’msure.Butifyouwantedtoensurethebabybeingpostedbyreturn,youshouldhavesentalittlesumtoHIM.Oh,I’mnotcynical—atleastIonlygobywhatIknowofhim.ButIamwearyofthewholeshow.WearyofItaly.Weary,weary,weary.Sawston’sakind,pitifulplace,isn’tit?Iwillgowalkinitandseekcomfort.”
Hesmiledashespoke,forthesakeofnotappearingserious.Whenhehadlefthershebegantosmilealso.
ItwastotheAbbotts’thathewalked.Mr.Abbottofferedhimtea,andCaroline,whowaskeepingupherItalianinthenextroom,cameintopouritout.HetoldthemthathismotherhadwrittentoSignorCarella,andtheybothutteredferventwishesforhersuccess.
“VeryfineofMrs.Herriton,veryfineindeed,”saidMr.Abbott,who,likeeveryoneelse,knewnothingofhisdaughter’sexasperatingbehaviour.“I’mafraiditwillmeanalotofexpense.ShewillgetnothingoutofItalywithoutpaying.”
“Therearesuretobeincidentalexpenses,”saidPhilipcautiously.ThenheturnedtoMissAbbottandsaid,“Doyousupposeweshallhavedifficultywiththeman?”
“Itdepends,”shereplied,withequalcaution.
“Fromwhatyousawofhim,shouldyouconcludethathewouldmakeanaffectionateparent?”
“Idon’tgobywhatIsawofhim,butbywhatIknowofhim.”
“Well,whatdoyouconcludefromthat?”
“Thatheisathoroughlywickedman.”
“Yetthoroughlywickedmenhavelovedtheirchildren.LookatRodrigoBorgia,forexample.”
“Ihavealsoseenexamplesofthatinmydistrict.”
Withthisremarktheadmirableyoungwomanrose,andreturnedtokeepupherItalian.ShepuzzledPhilipextremely.Hecouldunderstandenthusiasm,butshedidnotseemtheleastenthusiastic.Hecouldunderstandpurecussedness,butitdidnotseemtobethateither.Apparentlyshewasderivingneitheramusementnorprofitfromthestruggle.Why,then,hadsheundertakenit?Perhapsshewasnotsincere.Perhaps,onthewhole,thatwasmostlikely.Shemustbeprofessingonethingandaimingatanother.Whattheotherthingcouldbehedidnotstoptoconsider.Insinceritywasbecominghisstockexplanationforanythingunfamiliar,whetherthatthingwasakindlyactionorahighideal.
“Shefenceswell,”hesaidtohismotherafterwards.
“Whathadyoutofenceabout?”shesaidsuavely.Hersonmightknowhertactics