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〃Yes; it was painful; but it was not a quarrel。  I went away one day 

and never saw her again。  That was all。〃



The Countess looked at me gravely。  〃What do you call it when a man 

does that?〃



〃It depends upon the case。〃



〃Sometimes;〃 said the Countess in French; 〃it's a lachete。〃



〃Yes; and sometimes it's an act of wisdom。〃



〃And sometimes;〃 rejoined the Countess; 〃it's a mistake。〃



I shook my head。  〃For me it was no mistake。〃



She began to laugh again。  〃Caro Signore; you're a great original。  

What had my poor mother done to you?〃



I looked at our young Englishman; who still had his back turned to us 

and was staring up at the picture。  〃I will tell you some other 

time;〃 I said。



〃I shall certainly remind you; I am very curious to know。〃  Then she 

opened and shut her fan two or three times; still looking at me。  

What eyes they have!  〃Tell me a little;〃 she went on; 〃if I may ask 

without indiscretion。  Are you married?〃



〃No; Signora Contessa。〃



〃Isn't that at least a mistake?〃



〃Do I look very unhappy?〃



She dropped her head a little to one side。  〃For an Englishmanno!〃



〃Ah;〃 said I; laughing; 〃you are quite as clever as your mother。〃



〃And they tell me that you are a great soldier;〃 she continued; 〃you 

have lived in India。  It was very kind of you; so far away; to have 

remembered our poor dear Italy。〃



〃One always remembers Italy; the distance makes no difference。  I 

remembered it well the day I heard of your mother's death!〃



〃Ah; that was a sorrow!〃 said the Countess。  〃There's not a day that 

I don't weep for her。  But che vuole?  She's a saint its paradise。〃



〃Sicuro;〃 I answered; and I looked some time at the ground。  〃But 

tell me about yourself; dear lady;〃 I asked at last; raising my eyes。  

〃You have also had the sorrow of losing your husband。〃



〃I am a poor widow; as you see。  Che vuole?  My husband died after 

three years of marriage。〃



I waited for her to remark that the late Count Scarabelli was also a 

saint in paradise; but I waited in vain。



〃That was like your distinguished father;〃 I said。



〃Yes; he too died young。  I can't be said to have known him; I was 

but of the age of my own little girl。  But I weep for him all the 

more。〃



Again I was silent for a moment。



〃It was in India too;〃 I said presently; 〃that I heard of your 

mother's second marriage。〃



The Countess raised her eyebrows。



〃In India; then; one hears of everything!  Did that news please you?〃



〃Well; since you ask meno。〃



〃I understand that;〃 said the Countess; looking at her open fan。  〃I 

shall not marry again like that。〃



〃That's what your mother said to me;〃 I ventured to observe。



She was not offended; but she rose from her seat and stood looking at 

me a moment。  Then〃You should not have gone away!〃 she exclaimed。  

I stayed for another hour; it is a very pleasant house。



Two or three of the men who were sitting there seemed very civil and 

intelligent; one of them was a major of engineers; who offered me a 

profusion of information upon the new organisation of the Italian 

army。  While he talked; however; I was observing our hostess; who was 

talking with the others; very little; I noticed; with her young 

Inglese。  She is altogether charmingfull of frankness and freedom; 

of that inimitable disinvoltura which in an Englishwoman would be 

vulgar; and which in her is simply the perfection of apparent 

spontaneity。  But for all her spontaneity she's as subtle as a 

needle…point; and knows tremendously well what she is about。  If she 

is not a consummate coquette 。 。 。 What had she in her head when she 

said that I should not have gone away?Poor little Stanmer didn't go 

away。  I left him there at midnight。



12th。I found him today sitting in the church of Santa Croce; into 

which I wandered to escape from the heat of the sun。



In the nave it was cool and dim; he was staring at the blaze of 

candles on the great altar; and thinking; I am sure; of his 

incomparable Countess。  I sat down beside him; and after a while; as 

if to avoid the appearance of eagerness; he asked me how I had 

enjoyed my visit to Casa Salvi; and what I thought of the padrona。



〃I think half a dozen things;〃 I said; 〃but I can only tell you one 

now。  She's an enchantress。  You shall hear the rest when we have 

left the church。〃



〃An enchantress?〃 repeated Stanmer; looking at me askance。



He is a very simple youth; but who am I to blame him?



〃A charmer;〃 I said 〃a fascinatress!〃



He turned away; staring at the altar candles。



〃An artistan actress;〃 I went on; rather brutally。



He gave me another glance。



〃I think you are telling me all;〃 he said。



〃No; no; there is more。〃  And we sat a long time in silence。



At last he proposed that we should go out; and we passed in the 

street; where the shadows had begun to stretch themselves。



〃I don't know what you mean by her being an actress;〃 he said; as we 

turned homeward。



〃I suppose not。  Neither should I have known; if any one had said 

that to me。〃



〃You are thinking about the mother;〃 said Stanmer。  〃Why are you 

always bringing HER in?〃



〃My dear boy; the analogy is so great it forces itself upon me。〃



He stopped and stood looking at me with his modest; perplexed young 

face。  I thought he was going to exclaim〃The analogy be hanged!〃

but he said after a moment …



〃Well; what does it prove?〃



〃I can't say it proves anything; but it suggests a great many 

things。〃



〃Be so good as to mention a few;〃 he said; as we walked on。



〃You are not sure of her yourself;〃 I began。



〃Never mind thatgo on with your analogy。〃



〃That's a part of it。  You ARE very much in love with her。〃



〃That's a part of it too; I suppose?〃



〃Yes; as I have told you before。  You are in love with her; and yet 

you can't make her out; that's just where I was with regard to Madame 

de Salvi。〃



〃And she too was an enchantress; an actress; an artist; and all the 

rest of it?〃



〃She was the most perfect coquette I ever knew; and the most 

dangerous; because the most finished。〃



〃What you mean; then; is that her daughter is a finished coquette?〃



〃I rather think so。〃



Stanmer walked along for some moments in silence。



〃Seeing that you suppose me to be aa great admirer of the 

Countess;〃 he said at last; 〃I am rather surprised at the freedom 

with which you speak of her。〃



I confessed that I was surprised at it myself。  〃But it's on account 

of the interest I take in you。〃



〃I am immensely obliged to you!〃 said the poor boy。



〃Ah; of course you don't like it。  That is; you like my interestI 

don't see how you can help liking that; but you don't like my 

freedom。  That's natural enough; but; my dear young friend; I want 

only to help you。  If a man had said to meso many years agowhat I 

am saying to you; I should certainly also; at first; have thought him 

a great brute。  But after a little; I should have been gratefulI 

should have felt that he was helping me。〃



〃You seem to have been very well able to help yourself;〃 said 

Stanmer。  〃You tell me you made your escape。〃



〃Yes; but it was at the cost of infinite perplexityof what I may 

call keen suffering。  I should like to save you all that。〃



〃I can only repeatit is really very kind of you。〃



〃Don't repeat it too often; or I shall begin to think you don't mean 

it。〃



〃Well;〃 said Stanmer; 〃I think this; at any ratethat you take an 

extraordinary responsibility in trying to put a man out of conceit of 

a woman who; as he believes; may make him very happy。〃



I grasped his arm; and we stopped; going on with our talk like a 

couple of Florentines。



〃Do you wish to marry her?〃



He looked away; without meeting my eyes。  〃It's a great 

responsibility;〃 he repeated。



〃Before Heaven;〃 I said; 〃I would have married the mother!  You are 

exactly in my situation。〃



〃Don't you think you rather overdo the analogy?〃 asked poor Stanmer。



〃A little more; a little lessit doesn't matter。  I believe you are 

in my shoes。  But of course if you prefer it; I will beg a thousand 

pardons and leave them to carry you where they will。〃



He had been looking away; but now he slowly turned his face and met 

my eyes。  〃You have gone too far to retreat; what is it you know 

about her?〃



〃About this onenothing。  But about the other〃



〃I care nothing about the other!〃



〃My dear fellow;〃 I said; 〃they are mother and daughterthey are as 

like as two of Andrea's Madonnas。〃



〃If they resemble each other; then; you were simply mistaken in the 

mother。〃



I took his arm and we walked on again; there seemed no adequate reply 

to such a charge。  〃Your state of mind brings back my own so 

completely;〃 I said presently。  〃You admire her

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