traordinarymeaningintothewords.
“BecauseHarriet—?”
Shewouldnotgofurther,buthebelievedthatshehadpaidhomagetothecomplexityoflife.Forher,atallevents,theexpeditionwasneithereasynorjolly.Beauty,evil,charm,vulgarity,mystery—shealsoacknowledgedthistangle,inspiteofherself.Andhervoicethrilledhimwhenshebrokesilencewith“Mr.Herriton—comehere—lookatthis!”
SheremovedapileofplatesfromtheGothicwindow,andtheyleantoutofit.Closeopposite,wedgedbetweenmeanhouses,thereroseuponeofthegreattowers.Itisyourtower:youstretchabarricadebetweenitandthehotel,andthetrafficisblockedinamoment.Fartherup,wherethestreetemptiesoutbythechurch,yourconnections,theMerliandtheCapocchi,dolikewise.TheycommandthePiazza,youtheSienagate.Noonecanmoveineitherbutheshallbeinstantlyslain,eitherbybowsorbycrossbows,orbyGreekfire.Beware,however,ofthebackbedroomwindows.FortheyaremenacedbythetoweroftheAldobrandeschi,andbeforenowarrowshavestuckquiveringoverthewashstand.Guardthesewindowswell,lesttherebearepetitionoftheeventsofFebruary1338,whenthehotelwassurprisedfromtherear,andyourdearestfriend—youcouldjustmakeoutthatitwashe—wasthrownatyouoverthestairs.
“Itreachesuptoheaven,”saidPhilip,“anddowntotheotherplace.”Thesummitofthetowerwasradiantinthesun,whileitsbasewasinshadowandpastedoverwithadvertisements.“Isittobeasymbolofthetown?”
Shegavenohintthatsheunderstoodhim.Buttheyremainedtogetheratthewindowbecauseitwasalittlecoolerandsopleasant.PhilipfoundacertaingraceandlightnessinhiscompanionwhichhehadnevernoticedinEngland.Shewasappallinglynarrow,butherconsciousnessofwiderthingsgavetohernarrownessapatheticcharm.Hedidnotsuspectthathewasmoregracefultoo.Forourvanityissuchthatweholdourowncharactersimmutable,andweareslowtoacknowledgethattheyhavechanged,evenforthebetter.
Citizenscameoutforalittlestrollbeforedinner.Someofthemstoodandgazedattheadvertisementsonthetower.
“Surelythatisn’tanopera-bill?”saidMissAbbott.
Philipputonhispince-nez.“‘LuciadiLammermoor.BytheMasterDonizetti.Uniquerepresentation.Thisevening.’
“Butisthereanopera?Rightuphere?”
“Why,yes.Thesepeopleknowhowtolive.Theywouldsoonerhaveathingbadthannothaveitatall.Thatiswhytheyhavegottohavesomuchthatisgood.Howeverbadtheperformanceistonight,itwillbealive.Italiansdon’tlovemusicsilently,likethebeastlyGermans.Theaudiencetakesitsshare—sometimesmore.”
“Can’twego?”
Heturnedonher,butnotunkindly.“Butwe’reheretorescueachild!”
Hecursedhimselffortheremark.Allthepleasureandthelightwentoutofherface,andshebecameagainMissAbbottofSawston—good,oh,mostundoubtedlygood,butmostappallinglydull.Dullandremorseful:itisadeadlycombination,andhestroveagainstitinvaintillhewasinterruptedbytheopeningofthedining-roomdoor.
Theystartedasguiltilyasiftheyhadbeenflirting.Theirinterviewhadtakensuchanunexpectedcourse.Anger,cynicism,stubbornmorality—allhadendedinafeelingofgood-willtowardseachotherandtowardsthecitywhichhadreceivedthem.AndnowHarrietwashere—acrid,indissoluble,largethesameinItalyasinEngland—changingherdispositionnever,andheratmosphereunderprotest.
YetevenHarrietwashuman,andthebetterforalittletea.ShedidnotscoldPhilipforfindingGinoout,asshemightreasonablyhavedone.SheshoweredcivilitiesonMissAbbott,exclaimingagainandagainthatCaroline’svisitwasoneofthemostfortunatecoincidencesintheworld.Carolinedidnotcontradicther.
“Youseehimtomorrowatten,Philip.Well,don’tforgettheblankcheque.Sayanhourforthebusiness.No,Italiansaresoslowsaytwo.Twelveo’clock.Lunch.Well—thenit’snogoodgoingtilltheeveningtrain.IcanmanagethebabyasfarasFlorence—”
“Mydearsister,youcan’trunonlikethat.Youdon’tbuyapairofglovesintwohours,muchlessababy.”
“Threehours,then,orfourormakehimlearnEnglishways.AtFlorencewegetanurse—”
“But,Harriet,”saidMissAbbott,“whatifatfirsthewastorefuse?”
“Idon’tknowthemeaningoftheword,”saidHarrietimpressively.“I’vetoldthelandladythatPhilipandIonlywantourroomsonenight,andweshallkeeptoit.”
“Idaresayitwillbeallright.But,asItoldyou,IthoughtthemanImetontheRoccaastrange,difficultman.”
“He’sinsolenttoladies,weknow.Butmybrothercanbetrustedtobringhimtohissenses.Thatwoman,Philip,whomyousawwillcar