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Page 20
It was in this house that the brief and inevitable
tragedy of Lilia's married life took place. She made Gino
buy it for her, because it was there she had first seen him
sitting on the mud wall that faced the Volterra gate. She
remembered how the evening sun had struck his hair, and how
he had smiled down at her, and being both sentimental and
unrefined, was determined to have the man and the place
together. Things in Italy are cheap for an Italian, and,
though he would have preferred a house in the piazza, or
better still a house at Siena, or, bliss above bliss, a
house at Leghorn, he did as she asked, thinking that perhaps
she showed her good taste in preferring so retired an abode.
The house was far too big for them, and there was a
general concourse of his relatives to fill it up. His
father wished to make it a patriarchal concern, where all
the family should have their rooms and meet together for
meals, and was perfectly willing to give up the new practice
at Poggibonsi and preside. Gino was quite willing too, for
he was an affectionate youth who liked a large home-circle,
and he told it as a pleasant bit of news to Lilia, who did
not attempt to conceal her horror.
At once he was horrified too; saw that the idea was
monstrous; abused himself to her for having suggested it;
rushed off to tell his father that it was impossible. His
father complained that prosperity was already corrupting him
and making him unsympathetic and hard; his mother cried; his
sisters accused him of blocking their social advance. He
was apologetic, and even cringing, until they turned on
Lilia. Then he turned on them, saying that they could not
understand, much less associate with, the English lady who
was his wife; that there should be one master in that house--
himself.
Lilia praised and petted him on his return, calling him
brave and a hero and other endearing epithets. But he was
rather blue when his clan left Monteriano in much dignity--a
dignity which was not at all impaired by the acceptance of a
cheque. They took the cheque not to Poggibonsi, after all,
but to Empoli--a lively, dusty town some twenty miles off.
There they settled down in comfort, and the sisters said
they had been driven to it by Gino.
The cheque was, of course, Lilia's, who was extremely
generous, and was quite willing to know anybody so long as
she had not to live with them, relations-in-law being on her
nerves. She liked nothing better than finding out some
obscure and distant connection--there were several of
them--and acting the lady bountiful, leaving behind her
bewilderment, and too often discontent. Gino wondered how
it was that all his people, who had formerly seemed so
pleasant, had suddenly become plaintive and disagreeable.
He put it down to his lady wife's magnificence, in
comparison with which all seemed common. Her money flew
apace, in spite of the cheap living. She was even richer
than he expected; and he remembered with shame how he had
once regretted his inability to accept the thousand lire
that Philip Herriton offered him in exchange for her. It
would have been a shortsighted bargain.
Lilia enjoyed settling into the house, with nothing to
do except give orders to smiling workpeople, and a devoted
husband as interpreter. She wrote a jaunty account of her
happiness to Mrs. Herriton, and Harriet answered the letter,
saying (1) that all future communications should be
addressed to the solicitors; (2) would Lilia return an
inlaid box which Harriet had lent her--but not given--to keep
handkerchiefs and collars in?
"Look what I am giving up to live with you!" she said to
Gino, never omitting to lay stress on her condescension. He
took her to mean the inlaid box, and said that she need not
give it up at all.
"Silly fellow, no! I mean the life. Those Herritons
are very well connected. They lead Sawston society. But
what do I care, so long as I have my silly fellow!" She
always treated him as a boy, which he was, and as a fool,
which he was not, thinking herself so immeasurably superior
to him that she neglected opportunity after opportunity of
establishing her rule. He was good-looking and indolent;
therefore he must be stupid. He was poor; therefore he
would never dare to criticize his benefactress. He was
passionately in love with her; therefore she could do
exactly as she liked.
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