Chapter 5

meintotheworld.ToherimaginationMonterianohadbecomeamagiccityofvice,beneathwhosetowersnopersoncouldgrowuphappyorpure.Sawston,withitssemi-detachedhousesandsnobbyschools,itsbookteasandbazaars,wascertainlypettyanddullattimesshefounditevencontemptible.Butitwasnotaplaceofsin,andatSawston,eitherwiththeHerritonsorwithherself,thebabyshouldgrowup. Assoonasitwasinevitable,Mrs.HerritonwrotealetterforWatersandAdamsontosendtoGino—theoddestletterPhilipsawacopyofitafterwards.Itsostensiblepurposewastocomplainofthepicturepostcards.Rightattheend,inafewnonchalantsentences,sheofferedtoadoptthechild,providedthatGinowouldundertakenevertocomenearit,andwouldsurrendersomeofLilia’smoneyforitseducation. “Whatdoyouthinkofit?”sheaskedherson.“Itwouldnotdotolethimknowthatweareanxiousforit.” “Certainlyhewillneversupposethat.” “Butwhateffectwilltheletterhaveonhim?” “Whenhegetsithewilldoasum.Ifitislessexpensiveinthelongruntopartwithalittlemoneyandtobeclearofthebaby,hewillpartwithit.Ifhewouldlose,hewilladoptthetoneofthelovingfather.” “Dear,you’reshockinglycynical.”Afterapausesheadded,“Howwouldthesumworkout?” “Idon’tknow,I’msure.Butifyouwantedtoensurethebabybeingpostedbyreturn,youshouldhavesentalittlesumtoHIM.Oh,I’mnotcynical—atleastIonlygobywhatIknowofhim.ButIamwearyofthewholeshow.WearyofItaly.Weary,weary,weary.Sawston’sakind,pitifulplace,isn’tit?Iwillgowalkinitandseekcomfort.” Hesmiledashespoke,forthesakeofnotappearingserious.Whenhehadlefthershebegantosmilealso. ItwastotheAbbotts’thathewalked.Mr.Abbottofferedhimtea,andCaroline,whowaskeepingupherItalianinthenextroom,cameintopouritout.HetoldthemthathismotherhadwrittentoSignorCarella,andtheybothutteredferventwishesforhersuccess. “VeryfineofMrs.Herriton,veryfineindeed,”saidMr.Abbott,who,likeeveryoneelse,knewnothingofhisdaughter’sexasperatingbehaviour.“I’mafraiditwillmeanalotofexpense.ShewillgetnothingoutofItalywithoutpaying.” “Therearesuretobeincidentalexpenses,”saidPhilipcautiously.ThenheturnedtoMissAbbottandsaid,“Doyousupposeweshallhavedifficultywiththeman?” “Itdepends,”shereplied,withequalcaution. “Fromwhatyousawofhim,shouldyouconcludethathewouldmakeanaffectionateparent?” “Idon’tgobywhatIsawofhim,butbywhatIknowofhim.” “Well,whatdoyouconcludefromthat?” “Thatheisathoroughlywickedman.” “Yetthoroughlywickedmenhavelovedtheirchildren.LookatRodrigoBorgia,forexample.” “Ihavealsoseenexamplesofthatinmydistrict.” Withthisremarktheadmirableyoungwomanrose,andreturnedtokeepupherItalian.ShepuzzledPhilipextremely.Hecouldunderstandenthusiasm,butshedidnotseemtheleastenthusiastic.Hecouldunderstandpurecussedness,butitdidnotseemtobethateither.Apparentlyshewasderivingneitheramusementnorprofitfromthestruggle.Why,then,hadsheundertakenit?Perhapsshewasnotsincere.Perhaps,onthewhole,thatwasmostlikely.Shemustbeprofessingonethingandaimingatanother.Whattheotherthingcouldbehedidnotstoptoconsider.Insinceritywasbecominghisstockexplanationforanythingunfamiliar,whetherthatthingwasakindlyactionorahighideal. “Shefenceswell,”hesaidtohismotherafterwards. “Whathadyoutofenceabout?”shesaidsuavely.Hersonmightknowhertactics,butsherefusedtoadmitthatheknew.Shestillpretendedtohimthatthebabywastheonethingshewanted,andhadalwayswanted,andthatMissAbbottwashervaluedally. Andwhen,nextweek,thereplycamefromItaly,sheshowedhimnofaceoftriumph.“Readtheletters,”shesaid.“Wehavefailed.” Ginowroteinhisownlanguage,butthesolicitorshadsentalaboriousEnglishtranslation,where“PreghiatissimaSignora”wasrenderedas“MostPraiseworthyMadam,”andeverydelicatecomplimentandsuperlative—superlativesaredelicateinItalian—wouldhavefelledanox.ForamomentPhilipforgotthematterinthemannerthisgrotesquememorialofthelandhehadlovedmovedhimalmosttotears.Heknewtheoriginalsoftheselumberingphraseshealsohadsent“sincereauguries”healsohadaddressedletters—whowritesathome?—fromtheCaffeGaribaldi.“Ididn’tknowIwasstillsuchanass,”hethought.“Whycan’tIrealizethatit’smerelytricksofexpression?Abounder’sabounder,whetherhelivesinSawstonorMonteriano.” “Isn’titdisheartening?”saidhismother. HethenreadthatGinocouldnotacceptthegenerousoffer.Hispaternalheartwouldnotpermithimtoabandonthissymbolofhisdeploredspouse.Asforthepicturepost-cards,itdispleasedhimgreatlythattheyhadbeenobnoxious.Hewouldsendnomore.WouldMrs.Herriton,withhernotoriouskindness,explainthistoIrma,andthankherforthosewhichIrma(courteousMiss!)hadsenttohim? “Thesumworksoutagainstus,”saidPhilip.“Orperhapsheisputtinguptheprice.” “No,”saidMrs.Herritondecidedly.“Itisnotthat.Forsomeperversereasonhewillnotpartwiththechild.ImustgoandtellpoorCaroline.Shewillbeequallydistressed.” Shereturnedfromthevisitinthemostextraordinarycondition.Herfacewasred,shepantedforbreath,thereweredarkcirclesroundhereyes. “Theimpudence!”sheshouted.“Thecursedimpudence!Oh,I’mswearing.Idon’tcare.Thatbeastlywoman—howdaresheinterfere—I’ll—Philip,dear,I’msorry.It’snogood.Youmustgo.” “Gowhere?Dositdown.What’shappened?”Thisoutburstofviolencefromhiselegantladylikemotherpainedhimdreadfully.Hehadnotknownthatitwasinher. “Shewon’taccept—won’taccepttheletterasfinal.YoumustgotoMonteriano!” “Iwon’t!”heshoutedback.“I’vebeenandI’vefailed.I’llneverseetheplaceagain.IhateItaly.” “Ifyoudon’tgo,shewill.” “Abbott?” “Yes.Goingalonewouldstartthisevening.Iofferedtowriteshesaiditwas‘toolate!’Toolate!Thechild,ifyouplease—Irma’sbrother—tolivewithher,tobebroughtupbyherandherfatheratourverygates,togotoschoollikeagentleman,shepaying.Oh,you’reaman!Itdoesn’tmatterforyou.Youcanlaugh.ButIknowwhatpeoplesayandthatwomangoestoItalythisevening.” Heseemedtobeinspired.“Thenlethergo!LethermesswithItalybyherself.She’llcometogriefsomehow.Italy’stoodangerous,too—” “Stopthatnonsense,Philip.Iwillnotbedisgracedbyher.IWILLhavethechild.Payallwe’vegotforit.Iwillhaveit.” “LethergotoItaly!”hecried.“Lethermeddlewithwhatshedoesn’tunderstand!Lookatthisletter!Themanwhowroteitwillmarryher,ormurderher,ordoforhersomehow.He’sabounder,buthe’snotanEnglishbounder.He’smysteriousandterrible.He’sgotacountrybehindhimthat’supsetpeoplefromthebeginningoftheworld.” “Harriet!”exclaimedhismother.“Harrietshallgotoo.Harriet,now,willbeinvaluable!”AndbeforePhiliphadstoppedtalkingnonsense,shehadplannedthewholethingandwaslookingoutthetrains.