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〃No！〃　cried　a　voice　from　the　top　of　the　table。　〃Mr。　Beebe；　you

are　wrong。　The　first　fine　afternoon　your　ladies　must　go　to

Prato。〃



〃That　lady　looks　so　clever；〃　whispered　Miss　Bartlett　to　her

cousin。　〃We　are　in　luck。〃



And；　indeed；　a　perfect　torrent　of　information　burst　on　them。

People　told　them　what　to　see；　when　to　see　it；　how　to　stop　the

electric　trams；　how　to　get　rid　of　the　beggars；　how　much　to　give

for　a　vellum　blotter；　how　much　the　place　would　grow　upon　them。

The　Pension　Bertolini　had　decided；　almost　enthusiastically；　that

they　would　do。　Whichever　way　they　looked；　kind　ladies　smiled　and

shouted　at　them。　And　above　all　rose　the　voice　of　the　clever　lady；

crying：　〃Prato！　They　must　go　to　Prato。　That　place　is　too　sweetly

squalid　for　words。　I　love　it；　I　revel　in　shaking　off　the　trammels

of　respectability；　as　you　know。〃



The　young　man　named　George　glanced　at　the　clever　lady；　and　then

returned　moodily　to　his　plate。　Obviously　he　and　his　father　did

not　do。　Lucy；　in　the　midst　of　her　success；　found　time　to　wish

they　did。　It　gave　her　no　extra　pleasure　that　any　one　should　be

left　in　the　cold；　and　when　she　rose　to　go；　she　turned　back　and

gave　the　two　outsiders　a　nervous　little　bow。



The　father　did　not　see　it；　the　son　acknowledged　it；　not　by

another　bow；　but　by　raising　his　eyebrows　and　smiling；　he　seemed

to　be　smiling　across　something。



She　hastened　after　her　cousin；　who　had　already　disappeared

through　the　curtainscurtains　which　smote　one　in　the　face；　and

seemed　heavy　with　more　than　cloth。　Beyond　them　stood　the

unreliable　Signora；　bowing　good…evening　to　her　guests；　and

supported　by　'Enery；　her　little　boy；　and　Victorier；　her

daughter。　It　made　a　curious　little　scene；　this　attempt　of　the

Cockney　to　convey　the　grace　and　geniality　of　the　South。　And　even

more　curious　was　the　drawing…room；　which　attempted　to　rival　the

solid　comfort　of　a　Bloomsbury　boarding…house。　Was　this　really

Italy？



Miss　Bartlett　was　already　seated　on　a　tightly　stuffed　arm…chair；

which　had　the　colour　and　the　contours　of　a　tomato。　She　was

talking　to　Mr。　Beebe；　and　as　she　spoke；　her　long　narrow　head

drove　backwards　and　forwards；　slowly；　regularly；　as　though　she

were　demolishing　some　invisible　obstacle。　〃We　are　most　grateful

to　you；〃　she　was　saying。　〃The　first　evening　means　so　much。　When

you　arrived　we　were　in　for　a　peculiarly　mauvais　quart　d'heure。〃



He　expressed　his　regret。



〃Do　you；　by　any　chance；　know　the　name　of　an　old　man　who　sat

opposite　us　at　dinner？〃



〃Emerson。〃



〃Is　he　a　friend　of　yours？〃



〃We　are　friendlyas　one　is　in　pensions。〃



〃Then　I　will　say　no　more。〃



He　pressed　her　very　slightly；　and　she　said　more。



〃I　am；　as　it　were；〃　she　concluded；　〃the　chaperon　of　my　young

cousin；　Lucy；　and　it　would　be　a　serious　thing　if　I　put　her　under

an　obligation　to　people　of　whom　we　know　nothing。　His　manner　was

somewhat　unfortunate。　I　hope　I　acted　for　the　best。〃



〃You　acted　very　naturally；〃　said　he。　He　seemed　thoughtful；　and

after　a　few　moments　added：　〃All　the　same；　I　don't　think　much　harm

would　have　come　of　accepting。〃



〃No　harm；　of　course。　But　we　could　not　be　under　an　obligation。〃



〃He　is　rather　a　peculiar　man。〃　Again　he　hesitated；　and　then　said

gently：　〃I　think　he　would　not　take　advantage　of　your　acceptance；

nor　expect　you　to　show　gratitude。　He　has　the　meritif　it　is　one

of　saying　exactly　what　he　means。　He　has　rooms　he　does　not

value；　and　he　thinks　you　would　value　them。　He　no　more　thought　of

putting　you　under　an　obligation　than　he　thought　of　being　polite。

It　is　so　difficultat　least；　I　find　it　difficultto　understand

people　who　speak　the　truth。〃



Lucy　was　pleased；　and　said：　〃I　was　hoping　that　he　was　nice；　I　do

so　always　hope　that　people　will　be　nice。〃



〃I　think　he　is；　nice　and　tiresome。　I　differ　from　him　on　almost

every　point　of　any　importance；　and　so；　I　expectI　may　say　I

hopeyou　will　differ。　But　his　is　a　type　one　disagrees　with

rather　than　deplores。　When　he　first　came　here　he　not　unnaturally

put　people's　backs　up。　He　has　no　tact　and　no　mannersI　don't

mean　by　that　that　he　has　bad　mannersand　he　will　not　keep　his

opinions　to　himself。　We　nearly　complained　about　him　to　our

depressing　Signora；　but　I　am　glad　to　say　we　thought　better　of

it。〃



〃Am　I　to　conclude；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　〃that　he　is　a　Socialist？〃



Mr。　Beebe　accepted　the　convenient　word；　not　without　a　slight

twitching　of　the　lips。



〃And　presumably　he　has　brought　up　his　son　to　be　a　Socialist；

too？〃



〃I　hardly　know　George；　for　he　hasn't　learnt　to　talk　yet。　He

seems　a　nice　creature；　and　I　think　he　has　brains。　Of　course；　he

has　all　his　father's　mannerisms；　and　it　is　quite　possible　that

he；　too；　may　be　a　Socialist。〃



〃Oh；　you　relieve　me；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。　〃So　you　think　I　ought

to　have　accepted　their　offer？　You　feel　I　have　been　narrow…minded

and　suspicious？〃



〃Not　at　all；〃　he　answered；　〃I　never　suggested　that。〃



〃But　ought　I　not　to　apologize；　at　all　events；　for　my　apparent

rudeness？〃



He　replied；　with　some　irritation；　that　it　would　be　quite

unnecessary；　and　got　up　from　his　seat　to　go　to　the

smoking…room。



〃Was　I　a　bore？〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　as　soon　as　he　had

disappeared。　〃Why　didn't　you　talk；　Lucy？　He　prefers　young　people；

I'm　sure。　I　do　hope　I　haven't　monopolized　him。　I　hoped　you　would

have　him　all　the　evening；　as　well　as　all　dinner…time。〃



〃He　is　nice；〃　exclaimed　Lucy。　〃Just　what　I　remember。　He　seems　to

see　good　in　every　one。　No　one　would　take　him　for　a　clergyman。〃



〃My　dear　Lucia〃



〃Well；　you　know　what　I　mean。　And　you　know　how　clergymen　generally

laugh；　Mr。　Beebe　laughs　just　like　an　ordinary　man。〃



〃Funny　girl！　How　you　do　remind　me　of　your　mother。　I　wonder　if　she

will　approve　of　Mr。　Beebe。〃



〃I'm　sure　she　will；　and　so　will　Freddy。〃



〃I　think　every　one　at　Windy　Corner　will　approve；　it　is　the

fashionable　world。　I　am　used　to　Tunbridge　Wells；　where　we　are　all

hopelessly　behind　the　times。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Lucy　despondently。



There　was　a　haze　of　disapproval　in　the　air；　but　whether　the

disapproval　was　of　herself；　or　of　Mr。　Beebe；　or　of　the

fashionable　world　at　Windy　Corner；　or　of　the　narrow　world　at

Tunbridge　Wells；　she　could　not　determine。　She　tried　to　locate　it；

but　as　usual　she　blundered。　Miss　Bartlett　sedulously　denied

disapproving　of　any　one；　and　added　〃I　am　afraid　you　are　finding

me　a　very　depressing　companion。〃



And　the　girl　again　thought：　〃I　must　have　been　selfish　or　unkind；

I　must　be　more　careful。　It　is　so　dreadful　for　Charlotte；　being

poor。〃



Fortunately　one　of　the　little　old　ladies；　who　for　some　time　had

been　smiling　very　benignly；　now　approached　and　asked　if　she　might

be　allowed　to　sit　where　Mr。　Beebe　had　sat。　Permission　granted；

she　began　to　chatter　gently　about　Italy；　the　plunge　it　had　been

to　come　there；　the　gratifying　success　of　the　plunge；　the

improvement　in　her　sister's　health；　the　necessity　of　closing　the

bed…room　windows　at　night；　and　of　thoroughly　emptying　the

water…bottles　in　the　morning。　She　handled　her　subjects　agreeably；

and　they　were；　perhaps；　more　worthy　of　attention　than　the　high

discourse　upon　Guelfs　and　Ghibellines　which　was　proceeding

tempestuously　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。　It　was　a　real

catastrophe；　not　a　mere　episode；　that　evening　of　hers　at　Venice；

when　she　had　found　in　her　bedroom　something　that　is　one　worse

than　a　flea；　though　one　better　than　something　else。



〃But　here　you　are　as　safe　as　in　England。　Signora　Bertolini　is　so

English。〃



〃Yet　our　rooms　smell；〃　said　poor　Lucy。　〃We　dread　going　to　bed。〃



〃Ah；　then　you　look　into　the　court。〃　She　sighed。　〃If　only　Mr。

Emerson　was　more　tactful！　We　were　so　sorry　for　you　at　dinner。〃



〃I　think　he　was　meaning　to　be　kind。〃



〃Undoubtedly　he　was；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Mr。　Beebe　has　just　been　scolding　me　for　my　suspicious　nature。　Of

course；　I　was　holding　back　on　my　cousin's　account。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　the　little　old　lady；　and　they　murmured　that　one

could　not　be　too　careful　with　a　young　girl。



Lucy　tried　to　look　demure；　but　could　not　help　feeling　a　great

fool。　No　one　was　careful　with　her　at　home；　or；　at　all　events；　she

had　not　noticed　it。



〃About　old　Mr。　EmersonI　hardly　know。　No；　he　is　not　tactful；

yet；　have　you　ever　noticed　that　there　are　people　who　do　things

which　are　most　indelicate；　and　yet　at　the　same　timebeautiful？〃



〃Beautiful？〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　puzzled　at　the　word。　〃Are　not

beauty　and　delicacy　the　same？〃



〃So　one　would　have　thought；〃　said　the　other　helplessly。　〃But

things　are　so　difficult；　I　sometimes　think。〃



She　proceeded　no　further　into　things；　for　Mr。　Beebe　reappeared；

looking　extremely　pleasant。



〃Miss　Bartlett；〃　he　cried；　〃it's　all　right　about　the　rooms。　I'm

so　glad。　Mr。　Emerson　was　talking　about　it　in　the　smoking…room；

and　knowing　what　I　did；　I　encouraged　him　to　make　the　offer　again。

He　has　let　me　come　and　ask　you。　He　would　be　so　pleased。〃