.Hewasnotpreparedtotakeittohisheart.Alltheafternoonherested—worried,butnotexactlydespondent.Thethingwouldjogoutsomehow.ProbablyMissAbbottwasright.Thebabyhadbetterstopwhereitwasloved.Andthat,probably,waswhatthefateshaddecreed.Hefeltlittleinterestinthematter,andhewassurethathehadnoinfluence.
Itwasnotsurprising,therefore,thattheinterviewattheCaffeGaribaldicametonothing.Neitherofthemtookitveryseriously.AndbeforelongGinohaddiscoveredhowthingslay,andwasragginghiscompanionhopelessly.Philiptriedtolookoffended,butintheendhehadtolaugh.“Well,youareright,”hesaid.“Thisaffairisbeingmanagedbytheladies.”
“Ah,theladies—theladies!”criedtheother,andthenheroaredlikeamillionairefortwocupsofblackcoffee,andinsistedontreatinghisfriend,asasignthattheirstrifewasover.
“Well,Ihavedonemybest,”saidPhilip,dippingalongsliceofsugarintohiscup,andwatchingthebrownliquidascendintoit.“Ishallfacemymotherwithagoodconscience.WillyoubearmewitnessthatI’vedonemybest?”
“Mypoorfellow,Iwill!”HelaidasympathetichandonPhilip’sknee.
“AndthatIhave—”Thesugarwasnowimpregnatedwithcoffee,andhebentforwardtoswallowit.AshedidsohiseyesswepttheoppositeofthePiazza,andhesawthere,watchingthem,Harriet.“Miasorella!”heexclaimed.Gino,muchamused,laidhishanduponthelittletable,andbeatthemarblehumorouslywithhisfists.HarrietturnedawayandbegangloomilytoinspectthePalazzoPubblico.
“PoorHarriet!”saidPhilip,swallowingthesugar.“Onemorewrenchanditwillallbeoverforherweareleavingthisevening.”
Ginowassorryforthis.“Thenyouwillnotbeherethiseveningasyoupromisedus.Allthreeleaving?”
“Allthree,”saidPhilip,whohadnotrevealedthesecessionofMissAbbott“bythenighttrainatleast,thatismysister’splan.SoI’mafraidIshan’tbehere.”
TheywatchedthedepartingfigureofHarriet,andthenentereduponthefinalcivilities.Theyshookeachotherwarmlybybothhands.Philipwastocomeagainnextyear,andtowritebeforehand.HewastobeintroducedtoGino’swife,forhewastoldofthemarriagenow.Hewastobegodfathertohisnextbaby.AsforGino,hewouldremembersometimethatPhiliplikedvermouth.HebeggedhimtogivehislovetoIrma.Mrs.Herriton—shouldhesendherhissympatheticregards?Noperhapsthatwouldhardlydo.
Sothetwoyoungmenpartedwithagooddealofgenuineaffection.Forthebarrieroflanguageissometimesablessedbarrier,whichonlyletspasswhatisgood.Or—toputthethinglesscynically—wemaybebetterinnewcleanwords,whichhaveneverbeentaintedbyourpettinessorvice.Philip,atallevents,livedmoregraciouslyinItalian,theveryphrasesofwhichenticeonetobehappyandkind.ItwashorribletothinkoftheEnglishofHarriet,whoseeverywordwouldbeashard,asdistinct,andasunfinishedasalumpofcoal.
Harriet,however,talkedlittle.Shehadseenenoughtoknowthatherbrotherhadfailedagain,andwithunwonteddignitysheacceptedthesituation.Shedidherpacking,shewroteupherdiary,shemadeabrownpapercoverforthenewBaedeker.Philip,findinghersoamenable,triedtodiscusstheirfutureplans.ButsheonlysaidthattheywouldsleepinFlorence,andtoldhimtote