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

completely;〃 I said presently。  〃You admire heryou adore her; and 

yet; secretly; you mistrust her。  You are enchanted with her personal 

charm; her grace; her wit; her everything; and yet in your private 

heart you are afraid of her。〃



〃Afraid of her?〃



〃Your mistrust keeps rising to the surface; you can't rid yourself of 

the suspicion that at the bottom of all things she is hard and cruel; 

and you would be immensely relieved if some one should persuade you 

that your suspicion is right。〃



Stanmer made no direct reply to this; but before we reached the hotel 

he said〃What did you ever know about the mother?〃



〃It's a terrible story;〃 I answered。



He looked at me askance。  〃What did she do?〃



〃Come to my rooms this evening and I will tell you。〃



He declared he would; but he never came。  Exactly the way I should 

have acted!



14th。I went again; last evening; to Casa Salvi; where I found the 

same little circle; with the addition of a couple of ladies。  Stanmer 

was there; trying hard to talk to one of them; but making; I am sure; 

a very poor business of it。  The Countesswell; the Countess was 

admirable。  She greeted me like a friend of ten years; toward whom 

familiarity should not have engendered a want of ceremony; she made 

me sit near her; and she asked me a dozen questions about my health 

and my occupations。



〃I live in the past;〃 I said。  〃I go into the galleries; into the old 

palaces and the churches。  Today I spent an hour in Michael Angelo's 

chapel at San Loreozo。〃



〃Ah yes; that's the past;〃 said the Countess。  〃Those things are very 

old。〃



〃Twenty…seven years old;〃 I answered。



〃Twenty…seven?  Altro!〃



〃I mean my own past;〃 I said。  〃I went to a great many of those 

places with your mother。〃



〃Ah; the pictures are beautiful;〃 murmured the Countess; glancing at 

Stanmer。



〃Have you lately looked at any of them?〃 I asked。  〃Have you gone to 

the galleries with HIM?〃



She hesitated a moment; smiling。  〃It seems to me that your question 

is a little impertinent。  But I think you are like that。〃



〃A little impertinent?  Never。  As I say; your mother did me the 

honour; more than once; to accompany me to the Uffizzi。〃



〃My mother must have been very kind to you。〃



〃So it seemed to me at the time。〃



〃At the time only?〃



〃Well; if you prefer; so it seems to me now。〃



〃Eh;〃 said the Countess; 〃she made sacrifices。〃



〃To what; cara Signora?  She was perfectly free。  Your lamented 

father was deadand she had not yet contracted her second marriage。〃



〃If she was intending to marry again; it was all the more reason she 

should have been careful。〃



I looked at her a moment; she met my eyes gravely; over the top of 

her fan。  〃Are YOU very careful?〃 I said。



She dropped her fan with a certain violence。  〃Ah; yes; you are 

impertinent!〃



〃Ah no;〃 I said。  〃Remember that I am old enough to be your father; 

that I knew you when you were three years old。  I may surely ask such 

questions。  But you are right; one must do your mother justice。  She 

was certainly thinking of her second marriage。〃



〃You have not forgiven her that!〃 said the Countess; very gravely。



〃Have you?〃 I asked; more lightly。



〃I don't judge my mother。  That is a mortal sin。  My stepfather was 

very kind to me。〃



〃I remember him;〃 I said; 〃I saw him a great many timesyour mother 

already received him。〃



My hostess sat with lowered eyes; saying nothing; but she presently 

looked up。



〃She was very unhappy with my father。〃



〃That I can easily believe。  And your stepfatheris he still 

living?〃



〃He diedbefore my mother。〃



〃Did he fight any more duels?〃



〃He was killed in a duel;〃 said the Countess; discreetly。



It seems almost monstrous; especially as I can give no reason for it…

…but this announcement; instead of shocking me; caused me to feel a 

strange exhilaration。  Most assuredly; after all these years; I bear 

the poor man no resentment。  Of course I controlled my manner; and 

simply remarked to the Countess that as his fault had been so was his 

punishment。  I think; however; that the feeling of which I speak was 

at the bottom of my saying to her that I hoped that; unlike her 

mother's; her own brief married life had been happy。



〃If it was not;〃 she said; 〃I have forgotten it now。〃I wonder if 

the late Count Scarabelli was also killed in a duel; and if his 

adversary 。 。 。 Is it on the books that his adversary; as well; shall 

perish by the pistol?  Which of those gentlemen is he; I wonder?  Is 

it reserved for poor little Stanmer to put a bullet into him?  No; 

poor little Stanmer; I trust; will do as I did。  And yet; 

unfortunately for him; that woman is consummately plausible。  She was 

wonderfully nice last evening; she was really irresistible。  Such 

frankness and freedom; and yet something so soft and womanly; such 

graceful gaiety; so much of the brightness; without any of the 

stiffness; of good breeding; and over it all something so 

picturesquely simple and southern。  She is a perfect Italian。  But 

she comes honestly by it。  After the talk I have just jotted down she 

changed her place; and the conversation for half an hour was general。  

Stanmer indeed said very little; partly; I suppose; because he is shy 

of talking a foreign tongue。  Was I like thatwas I so constantly 

silent?  I suspect I was when I was perplexed; and Heaven knows that 

very often my perplexity was extreme。  Before I went away I had a few 

more words tete…a…tete with the Countess。



〃I hope you are not leaving Florence yet;〃 she said; 〃you will stay a 

while longer?〃



I answered that I came only for a week; and that my week was over。



〃I stay on from day to day; I am so much interested。〃



〃Eh; it's the beautiful moment。  I'm glad our city pleases you!〃



〃Florence pleases meand I take a paternal interest to our young 

friend;〃 I added; glancing at Stanmer。  〃I have become very fond of 

him。〃



〃Bel tipo inglese;〃 said my hostess。  〃And he is very intelligent; he 

has a beautiful mind。〃



She stood there resting her smile and her clear; expressive eyes upon 

me。



〃I don't like to praise him too much;〃 I rejoined; 〃lest I should 

appear to praise myself; he reminds me so much of what I was at his 

age。  If your beautiful mother were to come to life for an hour she 

would see the resemblance。〃



She gave me a little amused stare。



〃And yet you don't look at all like him!〃



〃Ah; you didn't know me when I was twenty…five。  I was very handsome!  

And; moreover; it isn't that; it's the mental resemblance。  I was 

ingenuous; candid; trusting; like him。〃



〃Trusting?  I remember my mother once telling me that you were the 

most suspicious and jealous of men!〃



〃I fell into a suspicious mood; but I was; fundamentally; not in the 

least addicted to thinking evil。  I couldn't easily imagine any harm 

of any one。〃



〃And so you mean that Mr。 Stanmer is in a suspicions mood?〃



〃Well; I mean that his situation is the same as mine。〃



The Countess gave me one of her serious looks。  〃Come;〃 she said; 

〃what was itthis famous situation of yours?  I have heard you 

mention it before。〃



〃Your mother might have told you; since she occasionally did me the 

honour to speak of me。〃



〃All my mother ever told me was that you werea sad puzzle to her。〃



At this; of course; I laughed outI laugh still as I write it。



〃Well; then; that was my situationI was a sad puzzle to a very 

clever woman。〃



〃And you mean; therefore; that I am a puzzle to poor Mr。 Stanmer?〃



〃He is racking his brains to make you out。  Remember it was you who 

said he was intelligent。〃



She looked round at him; and as fortune would have it; his appearance 

at that moment quite confirmed my assertion。  He was lounging back in 

his chair with an air of indolence rather too marked for a drawing…

room; and staring at the ceiling with the expression of a man who has 

just been asked a conundrum。  Madame Scarabelli seemed struck with 

his attitude。



〃Don't you see;〃 I said; 〃he can't read the riddle?〃



〃You yourself;〃 she answered; 〃said he was incapable of thinking 

evil。  I should be sorry to have him think any evil of ME。〃



And she looked straight at meseriously; appealinglywith her 

beautiful candid brow。



I inclined myself; smiling; in a manner which might have meant〃How 

could that be possible?〃



〃I have a great esteem for him;〃 she went on; 〃I want him to think 

well of me。  If I am a puzzle to him; do me a little service。  

Explain me to him。〃



〃Explain you; dear lady?〃



〃You are older and wiser than he。  Make him understand me。〃



She looked deep into my eyes for a moment; and then she turned away。



26th。I h

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