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book　before　Miss　Bartlett　and　Mr。　Eager；　binding　their　hands

together　by　a　long　glossy　ribbon　of　churches；　pictures；　and

views。



〃This　is　too　much！〃　cried　the　chaplain；　striking　petulantly　at

one　of　Fra　Angelico's　angels。　She　tore。　A　shrill　cry　rose　from

the　vendor。　The　book　it　seemed；　was　more　valuable　than　one　would

have　supposed。



〃Willingly　would　I　purchase〃　began　Miss　Bartlett。



〃Ignore　him；〃　said　Mr。　Eager　sharply；　and　they　all　walked　rapidly

away　from　the　square。



But　an　Italian　can　never　be　ignored；　least　of　all　when　he　has　a

grievance。　His　mysterious　persecution　of　Mr。　Eager　became

relentless；　the　air　rang　with　his　threats　and　lamentations。　He

appealed　to　Lucy；　would　not　she　intercede？　He　was　poorhe

sheltered　a　familythe　tax　on　bread。　He　waited；　he　gibbered；　he

was　recompensed；　he　was　dissatisfied；　he　did　not　leave　them　until

he　had　swept　their　minds　clean　of　all　thoughts　whether　pleasant

or　unpleasant。



Shopping　was　the　topic　that　now　ensued。　Under　the　chaplain's

guidance　they　selected　many　hideous　presents　and　mementoes

florid　little　picture…frames　that　seemed　fashioned　in　gilded

pastry；　other　little　frames；　more　severe；　that　stood　on　little

easels；　and　were　carven　out　of　oak；　a　blotting　book　of　vellum；

a　Dante　of　the　same　material；　cheap　mosaic　brooches；　which　the

maids；　next　Christmas；　would　never　tell　from　real；　pins；　pots；

heraldic　saucers；　brown　art…photographs；　Eros　and　Psyche　in

alabaster；　St。　Peter　to　matchall　of　which　would　have　cost　less

in　London。



This　successful　morning　left　no　pleasant　impressions　on　Lucy。　She

had　been　a　little　frightened；　both　by　Miss　Lavish　and　by　Mr。

Eager；　she　knew　not　why。　And　as　they　frightened　her；　she　had；

strangely　enough；　ceased　to　respect　them。　She　doubted　that　Miss

Lavish　was　a　great　artist。　She　doubted　that　Mr。　Eager　was　as　full

of　spirituality　and　culture　as　she　had　been　led　to　suppose。　They

were　tried　by　some　new　test；　and　they　were　found　wanting。　As　for

Charlotteas　for　Charlotte　she　was　exactly　the　same。　It　might　be

possible　to　be　nice　to　her；　it　was　impossible　to　love　her。



〃The　son　of　a　labourer；　I　happen　to　know　it　for　a　fact。　A

mechanic　of　some　sort　himself　when　he　was　young；　then　he　took　to

writing　for　the　Socialistic　Press。　I　came　across　him　at　Brixton。〃



They　were　talking　about　the　Emersons。



〃How　wonderfully　people　rise　in　these　days！〃　sighed　Miss

Bartlett；　fingering　a　model　of　the　leaning　Tower　of　Pisa。



〃Generally；〃　replied　Mr。　Eager；　〃one　has　only　sympathy　for　their

success。　The　desire　for　education　and　for　social　advancein

these　things　there　is　something　not　wholly　vile。　There　are　some

working　men　whom　one　would　be　very　willing　to　see　out　here　in

Florencelittle　as　they　would　make　of　it。〃



〃Is　he　a　journalist　now？〃　Miss　Bartlett　asked；　〃He　is　not；　he

made　an　advantageous　marriage。〃



He　uttered　this　remark　with　a　voice　full　of　meaning；　and　ended

with　a　sigh。



〃Oh；　so　he　has　a　wife。〃



〃Dead；　Miss　Bartlett；　dead。　I　wonderyes　I　wonder　how　he　has　the

effrontery　to　look　me　in　the　face；　to　dare　to　claim　acquaintance

with　me。　He　was　in　my　London　parish　long　ago。　The　other　day　in

Santa　Croce；　when　he　was　with　Miss　Honeychurch；　I　snubbed　him。

Let　him　beware　that　he　does　not　get　more　than　a　snub。〃



〃What？〃　cried　Lucy；　flushing。



〃Exposure！〃　hissed　Mr。　Eager。



He　tried　to　change　the　subject；　but　in　scoring　a　dramatic　point

he　had　interested　his　audience　more　than　he　had　intended。　Miss

Bartlett　was　full　of　very　natural　curiosity。　Lucy；　though　she

wished　never　to　see　the　Emersons　again；　was　not　disposed　to

condemn　them　on　a　single　word。



〃Do　you　mean；〃　she　asked；　〃that　he　is　an　irreligious　man？　We　know

that　already。〃



〃Lucy；　dear〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　gently　reproving　her　cousin's

penetration。



〃I　should　be　astonished　if　you　knew　all。　The　boyan　innocent

child　at　the　timeI　will　exclude。　God　knows　what　his　education

and　his　inherited　qualities　may　have　made　him。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；　〃it　is　something　that　we　had

better　not　hear。〃



〃To　speak　plainly；〃　said　Mr。　Eager；　〃it　is。　I　will　say　no　more。〃

For　the　first　time　Lucy's　rebellious　thoughts　swept　out　in

wordsfor　the　first　time　in　her　life。



〃You　have　said　very　little。〃



〃It　was　my　intention　to　say　very　little；〃　was　his　frigid　reply。



He　gazed　indignantly　at　the　girl；　who　met　him　with　equal

indignation。　She　turned　towards　him　from　the　shop　counter；　her

breast　heaved　quickly。　He　observed　her　brow；　and　the　sudden

strength　of　her　lips。　It　was　intolerable　that　she　should

disbelieve　him。



〃Murder；　if　you　want　to　know；〃　he　cried　angrily。　〃That　man

murdered　his　wife！〃



〃How？〃　she　retorted。



〃To　all　intents　and　purposes　he　murdered　her。　That　day　in　Santa

Crocedid　they　say　anything　against　me？〃



〃Not　a　word；　Mr。　Eagernot　a　single　word。〃



〃Oh；　I　thought　they　had　been　libelling　me　to　you。　But　I　suppose

it　is　only　their　personal　charms　that　makes　you　defend　them。〃



〃I'm　not　defending　them；〃　said　Lucy；　losing　her　courage；　and

relapsing　into　the　old　chaotic　methods。　〃They're　nothing　to　me。〃



〃How　could　you　think　she　was　defending　them？〃　said　Miss　Bartlett；

much　discomfited　by　the　unpleasant　scene。　The　shopman　was

possibly　listening。



〃She　will　find　it　difficult。　For　that　man　has　murdered　his　wife

in　the　sight　of　God。〃



The　addition　of　God　was　striking。　But　the　chaplain　was　really

trying　to　qualify　a　rash　remark。　A　silence　followed　which　might

have　been　impressive；　but　was　merely　awkward。　Then　Miss　Bartlett

hastily　purchased　the　Leaning　Tower；　and　led　the　way　into　the

street。



〃I　must　be　going；〃　said　he；　shutting　his　eyes　and　taking　out　his

watch。



Miss　Bartlett　thanked　him　for　his　kindness；　and　spoke　with

enthusiasm　of　the　approaching　drive。



〃Drive？　Oh；　is　our　drive　to　come　off？〃



Lucy　was　recalled　to　her　manners；　and　after　a　little　exertion　the

complacency　of　Mr。　Eager　was　restored。



〃Bother　the　drive！〃　exclaimed　the　girl；　as　soon　as　he　had

departed。　〃It　is　just　the　drive　we　had　arranged　with　Mr。　Beebe

without　any　fuss　at　all。　Why　should　he　invite　us　in　that　absurd

manner？　We　might　as　well　invite　him。　We　are　each　paying　for

ourselves。〃



Miss　Bartlett；　who　had　intended　to　lament　over　the　Emersons；　was

launched　by　this　remark　into　unexpected　thoughts。



〃If　that　is　so；　dearif　the　drive　we　and　Mr。　Beebe　are　going

with　Mr。　Eager　is　really　the　same　as　the　one　we　are　going　with

Mr。　Beebe；　then　I　foresee　a　sad　kettle　of　fish。〃



〃How？〃



〃Because　Mr。　Beebe　has　asked　Eleanor　Lavish　to　come；　too。〃



〃That　will　mean　another　carriage。〃



〃Far　worse。　Mr。　Eager　does　not　like　Eleanor。　She　knows　it

herself。　The　truth　must　be　told；　she　is　too　unconventional　for

him。〃



They　were　now　in　the　newspaper…room　at　the　English　bank。　Lucy

stood　by　the　central　table；　heedless　of　Punch　and　the　Graphic；

trying　to　answer；　or　at　all　events　to　formulate　the　questions

rioting　in　her　brain。　The　well…known　world　had　broken　up；　and

there　emerged　Florence；　a　magic　city　where　people　thought　and　did

the　most　extraordinary　things。　Murder；　accusations　of　murder；

A　lady　clinging　to　one　man　and　being　rude　to　anotherwere　these

the　daily　incidents　of　her　streets？　Was　there　more　in　her　frank

beauty　than　met　the　eyethe　power；　perhaps；　to　evoke　passions；

good　and　bad；　and　to　bring　them　speedily　to　a　fulfillment？



Happy　Charlotte；　who；　though　greatly　troubled　over　things　that

did　not　matter；　seemed　oblivious　to　things　that　did；　who　could

conjecture　with　admirable　delicacy　〃where　things　might　lead　to；〃

but　apparently　lost　sight　of　the　goal　as　she　approached　it。　Now

she　was　crouching　in　the　corner　trying　to　extract　a　circular　note

from　a　kind　of　linen　nose…bag　which　hung　in　chaste　concealment

round　her　neck。　She　had　been　told　that　this　was　the　only　safe　way

to　carry　money　in　Italy；　it　must　only　be　broached　within　the

walls　o