Chapter 2

ewhohasreceivedasolideducation,hequotedtheopeninglines— Nelmezzodelcammindinostravita Miritrovaiperunaselvaoscura Cheladirittaviaerasmarrita— aquotationwhichwasmoreaptthanhesupposed. LiliaglancedatPhiliptoseewhetherhenoticedthatshewasmarryingnoignoramus.Anxioustoexhibitallthegoodqualitiesofherbetrothed,sheabruptlyintroducedthesubjectofpallone,inwhich,itappeared,hewasaproficientplayer.Hesuddenlybecameshyanddevelopedaconceitedgrin—thegrinofthevillageyokelwhosecricketscoreismentionedbeforeastranger.Philiphimselfhadlovedtowatchpallone,thatentrancingcombinationoflawn-tennisandfives.Buthedidnotexpecttoloveitquitesomuchagain. “Oh,look!”exclaimedLilia,“thepoorweefish!” Astarvedcathadbeenworryingthemallforpiecesofthepurplequiveringbeeftheyweretryingtoswallow.SignorCarella,withthebrutalitysocommoninItalians,hadcaughtherbythepawandflungherawayfromhim.Nowshehadclimbeduptothebowlandwastryingtohookoutthefish.Hegotup,droveheroff,andfindingalargeglassstopperbythebowl,entirelypluggeduptheaperturewithit. “Butmaynotthefishdie?”saidMissAbbott.“Theyhavenoair.” “Fishliveonwater,notonair,”herepliedinaknowingvoice,andsatdown.Apparentlyhewasathiseaseagain,forhetooktospittingonthefloor.PhilipglancedatLiliabutdidnotdetectherwincing.Shetalkedbravelytilltheendofthedisgustingmeal,andthengotupsaying,“Well,Philip,Iamsureyouarereadyforby-bye.Weshallmeetattwelveo’clocklunchtomorrow,ifwedon’tmeetbefore.Theygiveuscaffelaterinourrooms.” Itwasalittletooimpudent.Philipreplied,“Ishouldliketoseeyounow,please,inmyroom,asIhavecomeallthewayonbusiness.”HeheardMissAbbottgasp.SignorCarella,whowaslightingarankcigar,hadnotunderstood. Itwasasheexpected.WhenhewasalonewithLiliahelostallnervousness.Theremembranceofhislongintellectualsupremacystrengthenedhim,andhebeganvolubly— “MydearLilia,don’tlet’shaveascene.BeforeIarrivedIthoughtImighthavetoquestionyou.Itisunnecessary.Iknoweverything.MissAbbotthastoldmeacertainamount,andtherestIseeformyself.” “Seeforyourself?”sheexclaimed,andherememberedafterwardsthatshehadflushedcrimson. “Thatheisprobablyaruffianandcertainlyacad.” “TherearenocadsinItaly,”shesaidquickly. Hewastakenaback.Itwasoneofhisownremarks.Andshefurtherupsethimbyadding,“Heisthesonofadentist.Whynot?” “Thankyoufortheinformation.Iknoweverything,asItoldyoubefore.IamalsoawareofthesocialpositionofanItalianwhopullsteethinaminuteprovincialtown.” Hewasnotawareofit,butheventuredtoconcludethatitwaspretty,low.NordidLiliacontradicthim.Butshewassharpenoughtosay,“Indeed,Philip,yousurpriseme.Iunderstoodyouwentinforequalityandsoon.” “AndIunderstoodthatSignorCarellawasamemberoftheItaliannobility.” “Well,weputitlikethatinthetelegramsoasnottoshockdearMrs.Herriton.Butitistrue.Heisayoungerbranch.Ofcoursefamiliesramify—justasinyoursthereisyourcousinJoseph.”SheadroitlypickedouttheonlyundesirablememberoftheHerritonclan.“Gino’sfatheriscourtesyitself,andrisingrapidlyinhisprofession.ThisverymonthheleavesMonteriano,andsetsupatPoggibonsi.Andformyownpoorpart,Ithinkwhatpeopleareiswhatmatters,butIdon’tsupposeyou’llagree.AndIshouldlikeyoutoknowthatGino’suncleisapriest—thesameasaclergymanathome.” PhilipwasawareofthesocialpositionofanItalianpriest,andsaidsomuchaboutitthatLiliainterruptedhimwith,“Well,hiscousin’salawyeratRome.” “Whatkindof‘lawyer’?” “Why,alawyerjustlikeyouare—exceptthathehaslotstodoandcannevergetaway.” Theremarkhurtmorethanhecaredtoshow.Hechangedhismethod,andinagentle,conciliatingtonedeliveredthefollowingspeech:— “Thewholethingislikeabaddream—sobadthatitcannotgoon.IftherewasoneredeemingfeatureaboutthemanImightbeuneasy.AsitisIcantrusttotime.Forthemoment,Lilia,hehastakenyouin,butyouwillfindhimoutsoon.Itisnotpossiblethatyou,alady,accustomedtoladiesandgentlemen,willtolerateamanwhosepositionis—well,notequaltothesonoftheservants’dentistinCoronationPlace.Iamnotblamingyounow.ButIblametheglamourofItaly—Ihavefeltitmyself,youknow—andIgreatlyblameMissAbbott.” “Caroline!Whyblameher?What’sallthistodowithCaroline?” “Becauseweexpectedherto—”Hesawthattheanswerwouldinvolvehimindifficulties,and,wavinghishand,continued,“SoIamconfident,andyouinyourheartagree,thatthisengagementwillnotlast.Thinkofyourlifeathome—thinkofIrma!AndI’llalsosaythinkofusforyouknow,Lilia,thatwecountyoumorethanarelation.IshouldfeelIwaslosingmyownsisterifyoudidthis,andmymotherwouldloseadaughter.” Sheseemedtouchedatlast,forsheturnedawayherfaceandsaid,“Ican’tbreakitoffnow!” “PoorLilia,”saidhe,genuinelymoved.“Iknowitmaybepainful.ButIhavecometorescueyou,and,book-wormthoughImaybe,Iamnotfrightenedtostanduptoabully.He’smerelyaninsolentboy.Hethinkshecankeepyoutoyourwordbythreats.Hewillbedifferentwhenheseeshehasamantodealwith.” Whatfollowsshouldbeprefacedwithsomesimile—thesimileofapowder-mine,athunderbolt,anearthquake—foritblewPhilipupintheairandflattenedhimonthe