Chapter 7

“No,”saidMissAbbott,utterlybewildered.Then,foramoment,shesawlight.“Itisnotnecessary,SignorCarella.Sinceyouaretiredofthebaby—” Everaftersherememberedittohercreditthatshesawhermistakeatonce.“Idon’tmeanthat,”sheaddedquickly. “Iknow,”washiscourteousresponse.“Ah,inaforeignlanguage(andhowperfectlyyouspeakItalian)oneiscertaintomakeslips.” Shelookedathisface.Itwasapparentlyinnocentofsatire. “Youmeantthatwecouldnotalwaysbetogetheryet,heandI.Youareright.Whatistobedone?Icannotaffordanurse,andPerfettaistoorough.WhenhewasillIdarenotlethertouchhim.Whenhehastobewashed,whichhappensnowandthen,whodoesit?I.Ifeedhim,orsettlewhatheshallhave.Isleepwithhimandcomforthimwhenheisunhappyinthenight.Noonetalks,noonemaysingtohimbutI.DonotbeunfairthistimeIliketodothesethings.Butnevertheless(hisvoicebecamepathetic)theytakeupagreatdealoftime,andarenotallsuitableforayoungman.” “Notatallsuitable,”saidMissAbbott,andclosedhereyeswearily.Eachmomentherdifficultieswereincreasing.Shewishedthatshewasnotsotired,soopentocontradictoryimpressions.ShelongedforHarriet’sburlyobtusenessorforthesoullessdiplomacyofMrs.Herriton. “Alittlemorewine?”askedGinokindly. “Oh,no,thankyou!Butmarriage,SignorCarella,isaveryseriousstep.Couldyounotmanagemoresimply?Yourrelative,forexample—” “Empoli!IwouldassoonhavehiminEngland!” “England,then—” Helaughed. “Hehasagrandmotherthere,youknow—Mrs.Theobald.” “Hehasagrandmotherhere.No,heistroublesome,butImusthavehimwithme.Iwillnotevenhavemyfatherandmothertoo.Fortheywouldseparateus,”headded. “How?” “Theywouldseparateourthoughts.” Shewassilent.Thiscruel,viciousfellowknewofstrangerefinements.Thehorribletruth,thatwickedpeoplearecapableoflove,stoodnakedbeforeher,andhermoralbeingwasabashed.Itwasherdutytorescuethebaby,tosaveitfromcontagion,andshestillmeanttodoherduty.Butthecomfortablesenseofvirtuelefther.Shewasinthepresenceofsomethinggreaterthanrightorwrong. Forgettingthatthiswasaninterview,hehadstrolledbackintotheroom,drivenbytheinstinctshehadarousedinhim.“Wakeup!”hecriedtohisbaby,asifitwassomegrown-upfriend.Thenheliftedhisfootandtrodlightlyonitsstomach. MissAbbottcried,“Oh,takecare!”Shewasunaccustomedtothismethodofawakeningtheyoung. “Heisnotmuchlongerthanmyboot,ishe?Canyoubelievethatintimehisownbootswillbeaslarge?Andthathealso—” “Butoughtyoutotreathimlikethat?” Hestoodwithonefootrestingonthelittlebody,suddenlymusing,filledwiththedesirethathissonshouldbelikehim,andshouldhavesonslikehim,topeopletheearth.Itisthestrongestdesirethatcancometoaman—ifitcomestohimatall—strongereventhanloveorthedesireforpersonalimmortality.Allmenvauntit,anddeclarethatitistheirsbuttheheartsofmostaresetelsewhere.Itistheexceptionwhocomprehendsthatphysicalandspirituallifemaystreamoutofhimforever.MissAbbott,forallhergoodness,couldnotcomprehendit,thoughsuchathingismorewithinthecomprehensionofwomen.AndwhenGinopointedfirsttohimselfandthentohisbabyandsaid“father-son,”shestilltookitasapieceofnurseryprattle,andsmiledmechanically. Thechild,thefirstfruits,wokeupandglaredather.Ginodidnotgreetit,butcontinuedtheexpositionofhispolicy. “ThiswomanwilldoexactlywhatItellher.Sheisfondofchildren.Sheiscleanshehasapleasantvoice.SheisnotbeautifulIcannotpretendthattoyouforamoment.ButsheiswhatIrequire.” Thebabygaveapiercingyell. “Oh,dotakecare!”beggedMissAbbott.“Youaresqueezingit.” “Itisnothing.Ifhecriessilentlythenyoumaybefrightened.HethinksIamgoingtowashhim,andheisquiteright.” “Washhim!”shecried.“You?Here?”Thehomelypieceofnewsseemedtoshatterallherplans.Shehadspentalonghalf-hourinelaborateapproaches,inhighmoralattacksshehadneitherfrightenedherenemynormadehimangry,norinterferedwiththeleastdetailofhisdomesticlife. “IhadgonetotheFarmacia,”hecontinued,“andwassittingtherecomfortably,whensuddenlyIrememberedthatPerfettahadheatedwateranhourago—overthere,look,coveredwithacushion.Icameawayatonce,forreallyhemustbewashed.Youmustexcuseme.Icanputitoffnolonger.” “Ihavewastedyourtime,”shesaidfeebly. Hewalkedsternlytotheloggiaanddrewfromitalargeearthenwarebowl.Itwasdirtyinsidehedusteditwithatablecloth.Thenhefetchedthehotwater,whichwasinacopperpot.Hepoureditout.Headdedcold.Hefeltinhispocketandbroughtoutapieceofsoap.Thenhetookupthebaby,and,holdinghiscigarbetweenhisteeth,begantounwrapit.Mi