“No,”saidMissAbbott,utterlybewildered.Then,foramoment,shesawlight.“Itisnotnecessary,SignorCarella.Sinceyouaretiredofthebaby—”
Everaftersherememberedittohercreditthatshesawhermistakeatonce.“Idon’tmeanthat,”sheaddedquickly.
“Iknow,”washiscourteousresponse.“Ah,inaforeignlanguage(andhowperfectlyyouspeakItalian)oneiscertaintomakeslips.”
Shelookedathisface.Itwasapparentlyinnocentofsatire.
“Youmeantthatwecouldnotalwaysbetogetheryet,heandI.Youareright.Whatistobedone?Icannotaffordanurse,andPerfettaistoorough.WhenhewasillIdarenotlethertouchhim.Whenhehastobewashed,whichhappensnowandthen,whodoesit?I.Ifeedhim,orsettlewhatheshallhave.Isleepwithhimandcomforthimwhenheisunhappyinthenight.Noonetalks,noonemaysingtohimbutI.DonotbeunfairthistimeIliketodothesethings.Butnevertheless(hisvoicebecamepathetic)theytakeupagreatdealoftime,andarenotallsuitableforayoungman.”
“Notatallsuitable,”saidMissAbbott,andclosedhereyeswearily.Eachmomentherdifficultieswereincreasing.Shewishedthatshewasnotsotired,soopentocontradictoryimpressions.ShelongedforHarriet’sburlyobtusenessorforthesoullessdiplomacyofMrs.Herriton.
“Alittlemorewine?”askedGinokindly.
“Oh,no,thankyou!Butmarriage,SignorCarella,isaveryseriousstep.Couldyounotmanagemoresimply?Yourrelative,forexample—”
“Empoli!IwouldassoonhavehiminEngland!”
“England,then—”
Helaughed.
“Hehasagrandmotherthere,youknow—Mrs.Theobald.”
“Hehasagrandmotherhere.No,heistroublesome,butImusthavehimwithme.Iwillnotevenhavemyfatherandmothertoo.Fortheywouldseparateus,”headded.
“How?”
“Theywouldseparateourthoughts.”
Shewassilent.Thiscruel,viciousfellowknewofstrangerefinements.Thehorribletruth,thatwickedpeoplearecapableoflove,stoodnakedbeforeher,andhermoralbeingwasabashed.Itwasherdutytorescuethebaby,tosaveitfromcontagion,andshestillmeanttodoherduty.Butthecomfortablesenseofvirtuelefther.Shewasinthepresenceofsomethinggreaterthanrightorwrong.
Forgettingthatthiswasaninterview,hehadstrolledbackintotheroom,drivenbytheinstinctshehadarousedinhim.“Wakeup!”hecriedtohisbaby,asifitwassomegrown-upfriend.Thenheliftedhisfootandtrodlightlyonitsstomach.
MissAbbottcried,