|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 60
"I have not come as a friend this time," she answered
stiffly. "I am not likely, Signor Carella, to approve of
anything you do."
"Oh, Signorina!" He laughed, as if he found her piquant
and amusing. "Surely you approve of marriage?"
"Where there is love," said Miss Abbott, looking at him
hard. His face had altered in the last year, but not for
the worse, which was baffling.
"Where there is love," said he, politely echoing the
English view. Then he smiled on her, expecting congratulations.
"Do I understand that you are proposing to marry again?"
He nodded.
"I forbid you, then!"
He looked puzzled, but took it for some foreign banter,
and laughed.
"I forbid you!" repeated Miss Abbott, and all the
indignation of her sex and her nationality went thrilling
through the words.
"But why?" He jumped up, frowning. His voice was
squeaky and petulant, like that of a child who is suddenly
forbidden a toy.
"You have ruined one woman; I forbid you to ruin
another. It is not a year since Lilia died. You pretended
to me the other day that you loved her. It is a lie. You
wanted her money. Has this woman money too?"
"Why, yes!" he said irritably. "A little."
"And I suppose you will say that you love her."
"I shall not say it. It will be untrue. Now my poor
wife--" He stopped, seeing that the comparison would involve
him in difficulties. And indeed he had often found Lilia as
agreeable as any one else.
Miss Abbott was furious at this final insult to her dead
acquaintance. She was glad that after all she could be so
angry with the boy. She glowed and throbbed; her tongue
moved nimbly. At the finish, if the real business of the
day had been completed, she could have swept majestically
from the house. But the baby still remained, asleep on a
dirty rug.
Gino was thoughtful, and stood scratching his head. He
respected Miss Abbott. He wished that she would respect
him. "So you do not advise me?" he said dolefully. "But
why should it be a failure?"
Miss Abbott tried to remember that he was really a child
still--a child with the strength and the passions of a
disreputable man. "How can it succeed," she said solemnly,
"where there is no love?"
"But she does love me! I forgot to tell you that."
"Indeed."
"Passionately." He laid his hand upon his own heart.
"Then God help her!"
He stamped impatiently. "Whatever I say displeases you,
Signorina. God help you, for you are most unfair. You say
that I ill-treated my dear wife. It is not so. I have
never ill-treated any one. You complain that there is no
love in this marriage. I prove that there is, and you
become still more angry. What do you want? Do you suppose
she will not be contented? Glad enough she is to get me,
and she will do her duty well."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|