Chapter 4

erousaccordingtocircumstances.Shewasnotobedient,butshewascowardly,andinthemostgentleway,whichMrs.Herritonmighthaveenvied,Ginomadeherdowhathewanted.Atfirstithadbeenratherfuntolethimgettheupperhand.Butitwasgallingtodiscoverthathecouldnotdootherwise.Hehadagoodstrongwillwhenhechosetouseit,andwouldnothavehadtheleastscrupleinusingboltsandlockstoputitintoeffect.Therewasplentyofbrutalitydeepdowninhim,andonedayLilianearlytouchedit. Itwastheoldquestionofgoingoutalone. “IalwaysdoitinEngland.” “ThisisItaly.” “Yes,butI’molderthanyou,andI’llsettle.” “Iamyourhusband,”hesaid,smiling.Theyhadfinishedtheirmid-daymeal,andhewantedtogoandsleep.Nothingwouldrousehimup,untilatlastLilia,gettingmoreandmoreangry,said,“AndI’vegotthemoney.” Helookedhorrified. Nowwasthemomenttoassertherself.Shemadethestatementagain.Hegotupfromhischair. “Andyou’dbettermendyourmanners,”shecontinued,“foryou’dfinditawkwardifIstoppeddrawingcheques.” Shewasnoreaderofcharacter,butshequicklybecamealarmed.AsshesaidtoPerfettaafterwards,“Noneofhisclothesseemedtofit—toobiginoneplace,toosmallinanother.”Hisfigureratherthanhisfacealtered,theshouldersfallingforwardtillhiscoatwrinkledacrossthebackandpulledawayfromhiswrists.Heseemedallarms.Heedgedroundthetabletowhereshewassitting,andshesprangawayandheldthechairbetweenthem,toofrightenedtospeakortomove.Helookedatherwithround,expressionlesseyes,andslowlystretchedouthislefthand. Perfettawasheardcomingupfromthekitchen.Itseemedtowakehimup,andheturnedawayandwenttohisroomwithoutaword. “Whathashappened?”criedLilia,nearlyfainting.“Heisill—ill.” Perfettalookedsuspiciouswhensheheardtheaccount.“Whatdidyousaytohim?”Shecrossedherself. “Hardlyanything,”saidLiliaandcrossedherselfalso.Thusdidthetwowomenpayhomagetotheiroutragedmale. ItwascleartoLiliaatlastthatGinohadmarriedherformoney.Buthehadfrightenedhertoomuchtoleaveanyplaceforcontempt.Hisreturnwasterrifying,forhewasfrightenedtoo,imploringherpardon,lyingatherfeet,embracingher,murmuring“ItwasnotI,”strivingtodefinethingswhichhedidnotunderstand.Hestoppedinthehouseforthreedays,positivelyillwithphysicalcollapse.Butforallhissufferinghehadtamedher,andsheneverthreatenedtocutoffsuppliesagain. Perhapshekeptherevencloserthanconventiondemanded.Buthewasveryyoung,andhecouldnotbearittobesaidofhimthathedidnotknowhowtotreatalady—ortomanageawife.Andhisownsocialpositionwasuncertain.EveninEnglandadentistisatroublesomecreature,whomcarefulpeoplefinddifficulttoclass.Hehoversbetweentheprofessionsandthetradeshemaybeonlyalittlelowerthanthedoctors,orhemaybedownamongthechemists,orevenbeneaththem.ThesonoftheItaliandentistfeltthistoo.Forhimselfnothingmatteredhemadefriendswiththepeopleheliked,forhewasthatgloriousinvariablecreature,aman.Buthiswifeshouldvisitnowhereratherthanvisitwrongly:seclusionwasbothdecentandsafe.ThesocialidealsofNorthandSouthhadhadtheirbriefcontention,andthistimetheSouthhadwon. Itwouldhavebeenwellifhehadbeenasstrictoverhisownbehaviourashewasoverhers.Buttheincongruityneveroccurredtohimforamoment.HismoralitywasthatoftheaverageLatin,andashewassuddenlyplacedinthepositionofagentleman,hedidnotseewhyheshouldnotbehaveassuch.Ofcourse,hadLiliabeendifferent—hadsheassertedherselfandgotagriponhischaracter—hemightpossibly—thoughnotprobably—havebeenmadeabetterhusbandaswellasabetterman,andatalleventshecouldhaveadoptedtheattitudeoftheEnglishman,whosestandardishigherevenwhenhispra