historic Italian
chambers. The terms on which she occupied them enabled her to ask a rent
almost jocosely small, and she begged Rowland to do what she called a
little genteel advertising for her. Would he say a good word for her
rooms to his numerous friends, as they left Rome? He said a good word
for them now to Mrs. Hudson, and told her in dollars and cents how cheap
a summer's lodging she might secure. He dwelt upon the fact that she
would strike a truce with tables-d'hote and have a cook of her own,
amenable possibly to instruction in the Northampton mysteries. He
had touched a tender chord; Mrs. Hudson became almost cheerful. Her
sentiments upon the table-d'hote system and upon foreign household
habits generally were remarkable, and, if we had space for it, would
repay analysis; and the idea of reclaiming a lost soul to the Puritanic
canons of cookery quite lightened the burden of her depression. While
Rowland set forth his case Roderick was slowly walking round the
magnificent Adam, with his hands in his pockets. Rowland waited for him
to manifest an interest in their discussion, but the statue seemed to
fascinate him and he remained calmly heedless. Rowland was a practical
man; he possessed conspicuously what is called the sense of detail. He
entered into Mrs. Hudson's position minutely, and told her exactly why
it seemed good that she should remove immediately to the Florentine
villa. She received his advice with great frigidity, looking hard at the
floor and sighing, like a person well on her guard against an insidious
optimism. But she had nothing better to propose, and Rowland received
her permission to write to his friend that he had let the rooms.

Roderick assented to this decision without either sighs or smiles. "A
Florentine villa is a good thing!" he said. "I am at your service."

"I 'm sure I hope you 'll get better there," moaned his mother,
gathering her shawl together.

Roderick laid one hand on her arm and with the other pointed to
Rowland's statues. "Better or worse, remember this: I did those things!"
he said.

Mrs. Hudson gazed at them vaguely, and Rowland said, "Remember it
yourself!"

"They are horribly good!" said Roderick.

Rowland solemnly shrugged his shoulders; it seemed to him that he
had nothing more to say. But as the others were going, a last light
pulsation of the sense of undischarged duty led him to address to
Roderick a few words of parting advice. "You 'll find the Villa