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Page 36
The Senator turned to the ladies of his family. "Now that I think of
it," he said, "travels in Italy are never written without a courier.
People wouldn't believe they were authentic. And Bramley said if you
really wanted to enjoy yourself it was folly not to engage one."
"I suppose there's more _choice_ in the season," said momma, glancing
disapprovingly at Alessandro's swarthy collar. "And I confess I should
have expected them to be garbed more picturesquely."
"Look at his language," I remarked. "You can't have everything."
The Senator said that was so. "I believe you can come along, Mr.
Bebbini," he said; "we're strangers here and we'll get you to help us to
enjoy ourselves for a month on the terms you name. You can begin right
away."
Alessandro bowed and waved us to the carriage. It was only the ordinary
commercial bow of Italy, but I could see that it made a difference to
momma. He saw us seated and was climbing on the box when poppa
interfered. "There's no use trying to work it that way," he said; "we
can't ask you to twist your head off every time you emit a piece of
information. Besides, there's no sense in your riding on the box when
there's an extra seat. You won't crowd us any, Mr. Bebbini, and I guess
we can refrain from discussing family matters for _one_ hour."
So we started, with Mr. Bebbini at short range.
"I think," said he, "you lika first off the 'ouse of Cristoforo
Colombo."
"I don't see how you knew," said poppa, "but you are perfectly correct.
Cristoforo was one of the most distinguished Americans on the roll of
history, and we, also, are Americans. At once, at once to the habitation
of Cristoforo."
Alessandro leaned forward impressively.
"Who informa you Cristoforo Colombo was Americano? Better you don't
believe these other guide--ignoranta fella. Cristoforo was Genoa man,
born here, you und'stan'? Italiano. Only live in America a lill'
w'ile--to discover, you und'stan'?"
"Mr. Bebbini," said poppa, "if you go around contradicting Americans on
the subject of Christopher Columbus your business will decrease. As a
matter of fact, Christopher wasn't born, he was made, and America made
him. He has every right to claim to be considered an American, and it
was a little careless of him not to have founded a family there. We make
excuses for him--it's quite true he had very little time at his
disposal--but we feel it, the whole nation of us, to this day."
The Via Balbi was cheerfully crooked and crowded, it had the modern
note of the street car, and the medi�val one of old women, arms akimbo,
in the nooks and recesses, selling big black cherries and bursting figs.
Even the old women though, as momma complained, wore postilion basques
and bell skirts, certainly in an advanced stage of usefulness, but of
unmistakable genesis--just what had been popular in Chicago a year or
two before.
"Really, my love," said momma, "I don't know _what_ we shall do for
description in Genoa, the people seem to wear no clothes worth
mentioning whatever." We concluded that all the city's characteristically
Italian garments were in the wash; they depended in novel cut and colour
from every window that did not belong to a bank or a university; and
sometimes, when the side street was narrow and the houses high, the effect
was quite imposing. Poppa asked Alessandro Bebbini whether they were
expecting royalty or anything, or whether it was like this every washing
day, and we gathered that there was nothing unusual about it. But poppa
said I had better mention it so that people might be prepared. Personally,
I rather liked the display, it gave such unexpected colour and incident to
those high-shouldering, narrow by-ways we looked down into from the upper
level of the Via Balbi, where only here and there the sun strove through,
and all the rest was a rich toned mystery; but there may be others like
momma, who prefer the clothes line of the Occident and the privacy of the
back yard.
The two sides of the _Via Poverina_ almost touched foreheads. "Yes,"
said Alessandro Bebbini apologetically, "it is a _ver'_ tight street."
Poppa was extremely pleased with the appearance of the house of
Christopher Columbus, which Alessandro pointed out in the Via Assorotti.
It was a comfortable looking edifice, with stone giants supporting the
arch of the doorway, in every respect suitable as the residence of a
retired navigator of distinction. Poppa said it was very gratifying to
find that Cristoforo had been able, in his declining years, when he was
our only European representative, to keep his end up with credit to
America.
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