.
The old Radical's not the thing in health. He's anxious about leaving
her alone in the world; he said so to me. Beauchamp's for rigging out
a yacht to give him a sail. It seems that salt water did him some good
last year. They're both of them rather the worse for a row at one of
their meetings in the North in support of that public nuisance, the
democrat and atheist Roughleigh. The Radical doctor lost a hat, and
Beauchamp almost lost an eye. He would have been a Nelson of politics,
if he had been a monops, with an excuse for not seeing. It's a trifle to
them; part of their education. They call themselves students. Rome will
be capital, Miss Halkett. You're an Italian scholar, and I beg to be
accepted as a pupil.'

'I fear we have postponed the expedition too long,' said Cecilia. She
could have sunk with languor.

'Too long?' cried Colonel Halkett, mystified.

'Until too late, I mean, papa. Do you not think, Mr. Austin, that a
fortnight in Rome is too short a time?'

'Not if we make it a month, my dear Cecilia.'

'Is not our salt air better for you? The yacht shall be fitted out.'

'I'm a poor sailor!'

'Besides, a hasty excursion to Italy brings one's anticipated regrets
at the farewell too close to the pleasure of beholding it, for the
enjoyment of that luxury of delight which I associate with the name of
Italy.'

'Why, my dear child,' said her father, 'you were all for going, the
other day.'

'I do not remember it,' said she. 'One plans agreeable schemes. At least
we need not hurry from home so very soon after our return. We have been
travelling incessantly. The cottage in Wales is not home. It is hardly
fair to Mount Laurels to quit it without observing the changes of the
season in our flowers and birds here. And we have visitors coming. Of
course, papa, I would not chain you to England. If I am not well enough
to accompany you, I can go to Louise for a few weeks.'

Was ever transparency so threadbare? Cecilia shrank from herself
in contemplating it when she was alone; and Colonel Halkett put the
question to Mr. Austin, saying to him privately, with no further
reserve: 'It's that fellow Beauchamp in the neighbourhood; I'm not so
blind. He'll be knocking at my door, and I can't lock him out. Austin,
would you guess it was my girl speaking? I never in my life had such
an example of intoxication before me. I 'm perfectly miserable at the
sight. You know her; she was the proudest girl living. Her ideas wer