d tortured me, and I'll
stand it no more. Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I never felt?
Ah! when I came to your house a poor young bride, how you all looked me
over--never a kind word--and discussed me, and thought I might just do;
and your mother corrected me, and your sister snubbed me, and you said
funny things about me to show how clever you were! And when Charles died
I was still to run in strings for the honour of your beastly family,
and I was to be cooped up at Sawston and learn to keep house, and all my
chances spoilt of marrying again. No, thank you! No, thank you! 'Bully?'
'Insolent boy?' Who's that, pray, but you? But, thank goodness, I can
stand up against the world now, for I've found Gino, and this time I
marry for love!"

The coarseness and truth of her attack alike overwhelmed him. But her
supreme insolence found him words, and he too burst forth.

"Yes! and I forbid you to do it! You despise me, perhaps, and think
I'm feeble. But you're mistaken. You are ungrateful and impertinent and
contemptible, but I will save you in order to save Irma and our name.
There is going to be such a row in this town that you and he'll be sorry
you came to it. I shall shrink from nothing, for my blood is up. It is
unwise of you to laugh. I forbid you to marry Carella, and I shall tell
him so now."

"Do," she cried. "Tell him so now. Have it out with him. Gino! Gino!
Come in! Avanti! Fra Filippo forbids the banns!"

Gino appeared so quickly that he must have been listening outside the
door.

"Fra Filippo's blood's up. He shrinks from nothing. Oh, take care he
doesn't hurt you!" She swayed about in vulgar imitation of Philip's
walk, and then, with a proud glance at the square shoulders of her
betrothed, flounced out of the room.

Did she intend them to fight? Philip had no intention of doing so; and
no more, it seemed, had Gino, who stood nervously in the middle of the
room with twitching lips and eyes.

"Please sit down, Signor Carella," said Philip in Italian. "Mrs.
Herriton is rather agitated, but there is no reason we should not be
calm. Might I offer you a cigarette? Please sit down."

He refused the cigarette and the chair, and remained standing in the
full glare of the lamp. Philip, not averse to such assistance, got his
own face into shadow.

For a long time he was silent. It might impress Gino, and it also gave
him time to collect himself. He would not this time fall into the error
of blustering,