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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