Chapter 9

ThedetailsofHarriet’scrimewereneverknown.InherillnessshespokemoreoftheinlaidboxthatshelenttoLilia—lent,notgiven—thanofrecenttroubles.ItwasclearthatshehadgonepreparedforaninterviewwithGino,andfindinghimout,shehadyieldedtoagrotesquetemptation.Buthowfarthiswastheresultofill-temper,towhatextentshehadbeenfortifiedbyherreligion,whenandhowshehadmetthepooridiot—thesequestionswereneveranswered,nordidtheyinterestPhilipgreatly.Detectionwascertain:theywouldhavebeenarrestedbythepoliceofFlorenceorMilan,oratthefrontier.Asitwas,theyhadbeenstoppedinasimplermannerafewmilesoutofthetown. Asyethecouldscarcelysurveythething.Itwastoogreat.RoundtheItalianbabywhohaddiedinthemudtherecentreddeeppassionsandhighhopes.Peoplehadbeenwickedorwronginthematternoonesavehimselfhadbeentrivial.Nowthebabyhadgone,butthereremainedthisvastapparatusofprideandpityandlove.Forthedead,whoseemedtotakeawaysomuch,reallytakewiththemnothingthatisours.Thepassiontheyhavearousedlivesafterthem,easytotransmuteortotransfer,butwell-nighimpossibletodestroy.AndPhilipknewthathewasstillvoyagingonthesamemagnificent,periloussea,withthesunorthecloudsabovehim,andthetidesbelow. Thecourseofthemoment—that,atallevents,wascertain.HeandnooneelsemusttakethenewstoGino.ItwaseasytotalkofHarriet’scrime—easyalsotoblamethenegligentPerfettaorMrs.Herritonathome.Everyonehadcontributed—evenMissAbbottandIrma.Ifonechose,onemightconsiderthecatastrophecompositeortheworkoffate.ButPhilipdidnotsochoose.Itwashisownfault,duetoacknowledgedweaknessinhisowncharacter.Thereforehe,andnooneelse,musttakethenewsofittoGino. Nothingpreventedhim.MissAbbottwasengagedwithHarriet,andpeoplehadsprungoutofthedarknessandwereconductingthemtowardssomecottage.Philiphadonlytogetintotheuninjuredcarriageandorderthedrivertoreturn.HewasbackatMonterianoafteratwohours’absence.Perfettawasinthehousenow,andgreetedhimcheerfully.Pain,physicalandmental,hadmadehimstupid.Itwassometimebeforeherealizedthatshehadnevermissedthechild. Ginowasstillout.Thewomantookhimtothereception-room,justasshehadtakenMissAbbottinthemorning,anddustedacircleforhimononeofthehorsehairchairs.Butitwasdarknow,soshelefttheguestalittlelamp. “IwillbeasquickasIcan,”shetoldh