Chapter 7

ola.Hisspeechterrifiedher.Shefeltthosesubtlerestrictionswhichcomeuponusinfatigue.Hadshesleptwellshewouldhavegreetedhimassoonasshesawhim.Nowitwasimpossible.Hehadgotintoanotherworld. Shewatchedhissmoke-ring.Theairhadcarrieditslowlyawayfromhim,andbroughtitoutintactuponthelanding. “Twohundredandfive—eighty-two.InanycaseIshallputthemonBari,notonFlorence.IcannottellyouwhyIhaveafeelingthisweekforBari.”Againshetriedtospeak.Buttheringmesmerizedher.Ithadbecomevastandelliptical,andfloatedinatthereception-roomdoor. “Ah!youdon’tcareifyougettheprofits.Youwon’tevensay‘Thankyou,Gino.’Sayit,orI’lldrophot,red-hotashesonyou.‘Thankyou,Gino—‘” Theringhadextendeditspalebluecoilstowardsher.Shelostself-control.Itenvelopedher.Asifitwasabreathfromthepit,shescreamed. Therehewas,wantingtoknowwhathadfrightenedher,howshehadgothere,whyshehadneverspoken.Hemadehersitdown.Hebroughtherwine,whichsherefused.Shehadnotonewordtosaytohim. “Whatisit?”herepeated.“Whathasfrightenedyou?” He,too,wasfrightened,andperspirationcamestartingthroughthetan.Foritisaseriousthingtohavebeenwatched.Weallradiatesomethingcuriouslyintimatewhenwebelieveourselvestobealone. “Business—”shesaidatlast. “Businesswithme?” “Mostimportantbusiness.”Shewaslying,whiteandlimp,inthedustychair. “Beforebusinessyoumustgetwellthisisthebestwine.” Sherefuseditfeebly.Hepouredoutaglass.Shedrankit.Asshedidsoshebecameself-conscious.Howeverimportantthebusiness,itwasnotproperofhertohavecalledonhim,ortoaccepthishospitality. “Perhapsyouareengaged,”shesaid.“AndasIamnotverywell—” “Youarenotwellenoughtogoback.AndIamnotengaged.” Shelookednervouslyattheotherroom. “Ah,nowIunderstand,”heexclaimed.“NowIseewhatfrightenedyou.Butwhydidyouneverspeak?”Andtakingherintotheroomwherehelived,hepointedto—thebaby. Shehadthoughtsomuchaboutthisbaby,ofitswelfare,itssoul,itsmorals,itsprobabledefects.But,likemostunmarriedpeople,shehadonlythoughtofitasaword—justasthehealthymanonlythinksoftheworddeath,notofdeathitself.Therealthing,lyingasleeponadirtyrug,disconcertedher.Itdidnotstandforaprincipleanylonger.Itwassomuchfleshandblood,somanyinchesandouncesoflife—aglorious,unquestionablefact,whichamanandanotherwomanhadgiventotheworld.Youcouldtalktoitintimeitwouldansweryouintimeitwouldnotansweryouunlessitchose,butwouldsecrete,withinthecompassofitsbody,thoughtsandwonderfulpassionsofitsown.AndthiswasthemachineonwhichsheandMrs.HerritonandPhilipandHarriethadforthelastmonthbeenexercisingtheirvariousideals—haddeterminedthatintimeitshouldmovethiswayorthatway,shouldaccomplishthisandnotthat.ItwastobeLowChurch,itwastobehigh-principled,itwastobetactful,gentlemanly,artistic—excellentthingsall.Yetnowthatshesawthisbaby,lyingasleeponadirtyrug,shehadagreatdispositionnottodictateoneofthem,andtoexertnomoreinfluencethantheremaybeinakissorinthevaguestoftheheartfeltprayers. Butshehadpractisedself-discipline,andherthoughtsandactionswerenotyettocorrespond.Torecoverherself-esteemshetriedtoimaginethatshewasinherdistrict,andtobehaveaccordingly. “Whatafinechild,SignorCarella.Andhowniceofyoutotalktoit.ThoughIseethattheungratefullittlefellowisasleep!Sevenmonths?No,eightofcourseeight.Still,heisaremarkablyfinechildforhisage.” Italianisabadmediumforcondescension.Thepatronizingwordscameoutgraciousandsincere,andhesmiledwithpleasure. “Youmustnotstand.Letussitontheloggia,whereitiscool.Iamafraidtheroomisveryuntidy,”headded,withtheairofahostesswhoapologizesforastraythreadonthedrawing-roomcarpet.MissAbbottpickedherwaytothechair.Hesatnearher,astridetheparapet,withonefootintheloggiaandtheotherdanglingintotheview.Hisfacewasinprofile,anditsbeautifulcontoursdroveartfullyagainstthemistygreenoftheopposinghills.“Posing!”saidMissAbbotttoherself.“Abornartist’smodel.” “Mr.Herritoncalledyesterday,”shebegan,“butyouwereout.” Hestartedanelaborateandgracefulexplanation.HehadgoneforthedaytoPoggibonsi.WhyhadtheHerritonsnotwrittentohim,sothathecouldhavereceivedthemproperly?Poggibonsiwouldhavedoneanydaynotbutwhathisbusinesstherewasfairlyimportant.Whatdidshesupposethatitwas? Naturallyshewasnotgreatlyinterested.ShehadnotcomefromSawstontoguesswhyhehadbeentoPoggibonsi.Sheansweredpolitelythatshehadnoidea,andreturnedtohermission. “Butguess!”hepersisted,clappingthebalustradebetweenhishands.