ere.
When we 're in a poor way, surely our own dear native land is the place
for us. Do leave us to ourselves, sir!"

This just failed of being a dismissal in form, and Rowland bowed his
head to it. Roderick was silent for some moments; then, suddenly, he
covered his face with his two hands. "Take me at least out of this
terrible Italy," he cried, "where everything mocks and reproaches and
torments and eludes me! Take me out of this land of impossible beauty
and put me in the midst of ugliness. Set me down where nature is coarse
and flat, and men and manners are vulgar. There must be something
awfully ugly in Germany. Pack me off there!"

Rowland answered that if he wished to leave Italy the thing might be
arranged; he would think it over and submit a proposal on the morrow.
He suggested to Mrs. Hudson, in consequence, that she should spend the
autumn in Switzerland, where she would find a fine tonic climate, plenty
of fresh milk, and several pensions at three francs and a half a day.
Switzerland, of course, was not ugly, but one could not have everything.

Mrs. Hudson neither thanked him nor assented; but she wept and packed
her trunks. Rowland had a theory, after the scene which led to these
preparations, that Mary Garland was weary of waiting for Roderick to
come to his senses, that the faith which had bravely borne his manhood
company hitherto, on the tortuous march he was leading it, had begun
to believe it had gone far enough. This theory was not vitiated by
something she said to him on the day before that on which Mrs. Hudson
had arranged to leave Florence.

"Cousin Sarah, the other evening," she said, "asked you to please leave
us. I think she hardly knew what she was saying, and I hope you have not
taken offense."

"By no means; but I honestly believe that my leaving you would
contribute greatly to Mrs. Hudson's comfort. I can be your hidden
providence, you know; I can watch you at a distance, and come upon the
scene at critical moments."

Miss Garland looked for a moment at the ground; and then, with sudden
earnestness, "I beg you to come with us!" she said.

It need hardly be added that after this Rowland went with them.

CHAPTER XII. The Princess Casamassima

Rowland had a very friendly memory of a little mountain inn, accessible
with moderate trouble from Lucerne, where he had once spent a blissful
ten days. He had at that time been trudging, knapsack on back, over half
Switzerland, and