Chapter 6
關燈
小
中
大
couldnotthinkwherehehadseenit.ThenherememberedthatitwasLilia’s.Shehadbroughtit“tohackaboutin”atSawston,andhadtakenittoItalybecause“inItalyanythingdoes.”Hehadrebukedherforthesentiment.
“Beautifulasanangel!”bellowedPerfetta,holdingoutsomethingwhichmustbeLilia’sbaby.“ButwhoamIaddressing?”
“Thankyou—hereismycard.”HehadwrittenonitacivilrequesttoGinoforaninterviewnextmorning.Butbeforeheplaceditinthebasketandrevealedhisidentity,hewishedtofindsomethingout.“Hasayoungladyhappenedtocallherelately—ayoungEnglishlady?”
Perfettabeggedhispardon:shewasalittledeaf.
“Ayounglady—pale,large,tall.”
Shedidnotquitecatch.
“AYOUNGLADY!”
“Perfettaisdeafwhenshechooses,”saidtheDogana’srelative.AtlastPhilipadmittedthepeculiarityandstrodeaway.HepaidoffthedetestablechildattheVolterragate.Shegottwonickelpiecesandwasnotpleased,partlybecauseitwastoomuch,partlybecausehedidnotlookpleasedwhenhegaveittoher.Hecaughtherfathersandcousinswinkingateachotherashewalkedpastthem.Monterianoseemedinoneconspiracytomakehimlookafool.Hefelttiredandanxiousandmuddled,andnotsureofanythingexceptthathistemperwaslost.InthismoodhereturnedtotheStellad’Italia,andthere,ashewasascendingthestairs,MissAbbottpoppedoutofthedining-roomonthefirstfloorandbeckonedtohimmysteriously.
“Iwasgoingtomakemyselfsometea,”hesaid,withhishandstillonthebanisters.
“Ishouldbegrateful—”
Sohefollowedherintothedining-roomandshutthedoor.
“Yousee,”shebegan,“Harrietknowsnothing.”
“NomoredoI.Hewasout.”
“Butwhat’sthattodowithit?”
Hepresentedherwithanunpleasantsmile.Shefencedwell,ashehadnoticedbefore.“Hewasout.YoufindmeasignorantasyouhaveleftHarriet.”
“Whatdoyoumean?Please,pleaseMr.Herriton,don’tbemysterious:thereisn’tthetime.AnymomentHarrietmaybedown,andweshan’thavedecidedhowtobehavetoher.Sawstonwasdifferent:wehadtokeepupappearances.Butherewemustspeakout,andIthinkIcantrustyoutodoit.Otherwisewe’llneverstartclear.”
“Prayletusstartclear,”saidPhilip,pacingupanddowntheroom.“Permitmetobeginbyaskingyouaquestion.InwhichcapacityhaveyoucometoMonteriano—spyortraitor?”
“Spy!”sheanswered,withoutamoment’shesitation.ShewasstandingbythelittleGothicwindowasshespoke—thehotelhadbeenapalaceonce—andwithherfingershewasfollowingthecurvesofthemouldingasiftheymightfeelbeautifulandstrange.“Spy,”sherepeated,forPhilipwasbewilderedatlearningherguiltsoeasily,andcouldnotansweraword.“Yourmotherhasbehaveddishonourablyallthrough.Sheneverwantedthechildnoharminthatbutsheistooproudtoletitcometome.ShehasdoneallshecouldtowreckthingsshedidnottellyoueverythingshehastoldHarrietnothingatallshehasliedoractedlieseverywhere.Icannottrustyourmother.SoIhavecomeherealone—allacrossEuropenooneknowsitmyfatherthinksIaminNormandy—tospyonMrs.Herriton.Don’tlet’sargue!”forhehadbegun,almostmechanically,torebukeherforimpertinence.“Ifyouareheretogetthechild,Iwillhelpyouifyouareheretofail,Ishallgetitinsteadofyou.”
“Itishopelesstoexpectyoutobelieveme,”hestammered.“ButIcanassertthatweareheretogetthechild,evenifitcostsusallwe’vegot.Mymotherhasfixednomoneylimitwhatever.Iamheretocarryoutherinstructions.Ithinkthatyouwillapproveofthem,asyouhavepracticallydictatedthem.Idonotapproveofthem.Theyareabsurd.”
Shenoddedcarelessly.Shedidnotmindwhathesaid.AllshewantedwastogetthebabyoutofMonteriano.
“Harrietalsocarriesoutyourinstructions,”hecontinued.“She,however,approvesofthem,anddoesnotknowthattheyproceedfromyou.Ithink,MissAbbott,youhadbettertakeentirechargeoftherescueparty.IhaveaskedforaninterviewwithSignorCarellatomorrowmorning.Doyouacquiesce?”
Shenoddedagain.
“MightIaskfordetailsofyourinterviewwithhim?Theymightbehelpfultome.”
Hehadspokenatrandom.Tohisdelightshesuddenlycollapsed.Herhandfellfromthewindow.Herfacewasredwithmorethanthereflectionofevening.
“Myinterview—howdoyouknowofit?”
“FromPerfetta,ifitinterestsyou.”
“WhoeverisPerfetta?”
“Thewomanwhomusthaveletyouin.”
“Inwhere?”
“IntoSignorCarella’shouse.”
“Mr.Herriton!”sheexclaimed.“Howcouldyoubelieveher?DoyousupposethatIwouldhaveenteredthatman’shouse,knowingabouthimallthatIdo?Ithinkyouhaveveryoddideasofwhatispossibleforalady.IhearyouwantedHarriettogo.Veryproperlysherefused.EighteenmonthsagoImighthavedonesuchathing.ButItrustIhavelearnthowtobehavebynow.”
PhilipbegantoseethatthereweretwoMissAbbotts—theMissAbbottwhocouldtravelalonetoMonteriano,andtheMissAbbottwhocouldnotenterGino’shousewhenshegotthere.Itwasanamusingdiscovery.Whichofthemwouldrespondtohisnextmove?
“IsupposeImisunderstoodPerfetta.Wheredidyouhaveyourinterview,then?”
“Notaninterview—anaccident—Iamverysorry—Imeantyoutohavethechanceofseeinghimfirst.Thoughitisyourfault.Youareadaylate.Youwereduehereyesterday.SoIcameyesterday,and,notfindingyou,wentuptotheRocca—youknowthatkitchen-gardenwheretheyletyouin,andthereisaladderuptoabrokentower,whereyoucanstandandseealltheothertowersbelowyouandtheplainandalltheotherhills?”
“Yes,yes.IknowtheRoccaItoldyouofit.”
“SoIwentupintheeveningforthesunset:Ihadnothingtodo.Hewasinthegarden:itbelongstoafriendofhis.”
“Andyoutalked.”
“Itwasveryawkwardforme.ButIhadtotalk:heseemedtomakeme.YouseehethoughtIwashereasatouristhethinkssostill.Heintendedtobecivil,andIjudgeditbettertobecivilalso.”
“Andofwhatdidyoutalk?”
“Theweather—therewillberain,hesays,bytomorrowevening—theothertowns,England,myself,aboutyoualittle,andheactuallymentionedLilia.Hewasperfectlydisgustinghepretendedhelovedherheofferedtoshowmehergrave—thegraveofthewomanhehasmurdered!”
“MydearMissAbbott,heisnotamurderer.IhavejustbeendrivingthatintoHarriet.AndwhenyouknowtheItaliansaswellasIdo,youwillrealizethatinallthathesaidtoyouhewasperfectlysincere.TheItaliansareessentiallydramatictheylookondeathandloveasspectacles.Idon’tdoubtthathepersuadedhimself,forthemoment,thathehadbehavedadmirably,bothashusbandandwidower.”
“Youmayberight,”saidMissAbbott,impressedforthefirsttime.“WhenItriedtopavetheway,sotospeak—tohintthathehadnotbehavedasheought—well,itwasnogoodatall.Hecouldn’torwouldn’tunderstand.”
TherewassomethingveryhumorousintheideaofMissAbbottapproachingGino,ontheRocca,inthespiritofadistrictvisitor.Philip,whosetemperwasreturning,laughed.
“Harrietwouldsayhehasnosenseofsin.”
“Harrietmayberight,Iamafraid.”
“Ifso,perhapsheisn’tsinful!”
MissAbbottwasnotonetoencouragelevity.“Iknowwhathehasdone,”shesaid.“Whathesaysandwhathethinksisofverylittleimportance.”
Philipsmiledathercrudity.“Ishouldliketohear,though,whathesaidaboutme.Ishepreparingawarmreception?”
“Oh,no,notthat.InevertoldhimthatyouandHarrietwerecoming.Youcouldhavetakenhimbysurpriseifyouliked.Heonlyaskedforyou,andwishedhehadn’tbeensorudetoyoueighteenmonthsago.”
“Whatamemorythefellowhasforlittlethings!”Heturnedawayashespoke,forhedidnotwanthertoseehisface.Itwassuffusedwithpleasure.Foranapology,whichwouldhavebeenintolerableeighteenmonthsago,wasgraciousandagreeablenow.
Shewouldnotletthispass.“Youdidnotthinkitalittlethingatthetime.Youtoldmehehadassaultedyou.”
“Ilostmytemper,”saidPhiliplightly.Hisvanityhadbeenappeased,andheknewit.Thistinypieceofcivilityhadchangedhismood.“Didhereally—whatexactlydidhesay?”
“Hesaidhewassorry—pleasantly,asItaliansdosaysuchthings.Buthenevermentionedthebabyonce.”
Whatdidthebabymatterwhentheworldwassuddenlyrightwayup?Philipsmiled,andwasshockedathimselfforsmiling,andsmiledagain.ForromancehadcomebacktoItalytherewerenocadsinhershewasbeautiful,courteous,lovable,asofold.AndMissAbbott—she,too,wasbeautifulinherway,forallhergauchenessandconventionality.Shereallycaredaboutlife,andtriedtoliveitproperly.AndHarriet—evenHarriettried.
ThisadmirablechangeinPhilipproceedsfromnothingadmirable,andmaythereforeprovokethegibesofthecynical.Butangelsandotherpracticalpeoplewillacceptitreverently,andwriteitdownasgood.
“TheviewfromtheRocca(smallgratuity)isfinestatsunset,”hemurmured,moretohimselfthantoher.
“Andhenevermentionedthebabyonce,”MissAbbottrepeated.Butshehadreturnedtothewindow,andagainherfingerpursuedthedelicatecurves.Hewatchedherinsilence,andwasmoreattractedtoherthanhehadeverbeenbefore.Shereallywasthestrangestmixture.
“TheviewfromtheRocca—wasn’titfine?”
“Whatisn’tfinehere?”sheansweredgently,andthenadded,“IwishIwasHarriet,”throwinganex
