第2章

Hewasadmittedtotheirsacredtableatthetabled\'hote，asnowyoblonginanairyalcove，wheretheHonourableMrs。Dennant，MissDennant，andtheHonourableCharlottePenguin，amaidenauntwithinsufficientlungs，sattwiceadayintheirownatmosphere。A

momentaryweaknesscameonSheltonthefirsttimehesawthemsittingthereatlunch。Whatwasitgavethemtheirlookofstrangedetachment？Mrs。Dennantwasbendingaboveacamera。

"I\'mafraid，d\'youknow，it\'sunder-exposed，"shesaid。

"Whatapity!Thekittenwasrathernice!"Themaidenaunt，placingtheknittingofaredsilktiebesideherplate，turnedheraspiring，well-bredgazeonShelton。

"Look，Auntie，"saidAntoniainherclear，quickvoice，"there\'sthefunnylittlemanagain!"

"Oh，"saidthemaidenaunt——asmilerevealedherupperteeth；shelookedforthefunnylittleman(whowasnotEnglish)——"he\'srathernice!"

Sheltondidnotlookforthefunnylittleman；hestoleaglancethatbarelyreachedAntonia\'sbrow，wherehereyebrowstooktheirtinyupwardslantattheoutercorners，andherhairwasstillruffledbyawindywalk。Fromthatmomenthebecameherslave。

"Mr。Shelton，doyouknowanythingabouttheseperiscopicbinoculars？"saidMrs。Dennant\'svoice；"they\'resplendidforbuildin\'s，butbuildin\'saresodisappointin\'。Thethingistogethumaninterest，isn\'tit？"andherglancewanderedabsentlypastSheltoninsearchofhumaninterest。

"Youhaven\'tputdownwhatyou\'vetaken，mother。"

>FromalittleleatherbagMrs。Dennanttookalittleleatherbook。

"It\'ssoeasytoforgetwhatthey\'reabout，"shesaid，"that\'ssoannoyin\'。"

Sheltonwasnotagainvisitedbyhisuneasinessattheirdetachment；

heacceptedthemandalltheirworks，fortherewassomethingquitesublimeaboutthewaythattheywouldleavethedining-room，unconsciousthattheythemselveswerefunnytoallthepeopletheyhadfoundsofunnywhiletheyhadbeensittingthere，andhewouldfollowthemoutunnecessarilyuprightandfeelinglikeafool。

Intheensuingfortnight，chaperonedbythemaidenaunt，forMrs。

Dennantdislikeddriving，hesatoppositetoAntoniaduringmanydrives；heplayedsetsoftenniswithher；butitwasintheeveningsafterdinner——thoselongeveningsonaparquetfloorinwickerchairsdraggedasfarasmightbefromtheheatingapparatus——thatheseemedsoverynearher。Thecommunityofisolationdrewthemcloser。Inplaceofacompanionhehadassumedthepartoffriend，towhomshecouldconfideallherhome-sickaspirations。Sothat，evenwhenshewassittingsilent，aslim，longfootstretchedoutinfront，bendingwithanairofcoolabsorptionoversomepencilsketcheswhichshewouldnotshowhim——eventhen，byherveryattitude，bythesweetfreshnessthatclungabouther，byherquick，offendedglancesatthestrangepersonsround，sheseemedtoacknowledgeinsomesecretwaythathewasnecessary。Hewasfarfromrealisingthis；hisintellectualandobservantpartswerehypnotisedandfascinatedevenbyherfailings。Thefaintfrecklingacrosshernose，theslimandvirginalseverenessofherfigure，withitsnarrowhipsandarms，thecurveofherlongneck-allwereaddedcharms。Shehadthewindandrainlook，atasteofhome；andovertheglaringroads，wherethepalm-treeshadowslaysoblack，sheseemedtopassliketheveryimageofanEnglishday。

Oneafternoonhehadtakenhertoplaytenniswithsomefriends，andafterwardstheystrolledontoherfavouriteview。DowntheToulonroadgardensandhillswerebathedinthecolourofripeapricot；aneveningcrispnesshadstolenontheair；theblood，releasedfromthesun\'snumbing，rangladlyintheveins。OntherighthandoftheroadwasaFrenchmanplayingbowls。Enormous，busy，pleased，anduprightasasoldier，patheticallytrottinghisvastcarcassfromendtoend，hedelightedShelton。ButAntoniathrewasinglelookatthehugecreature，andherfaceexpresseddisgust。Shebeganrunninguptowardstheruinedtower。

Sheltonletherkeepinfront，watchingherleapfromstonetostoneandthrowbackdefiantglanceswhenhepressedbehind。Shestoodatthetop，andhelookedupather。Overtheworld，gloriouslyspreadbelow，she，likeastatue，seemedtorule。Thecolourwasbrilliantinhercheeks，heryoungbosomheaved，hereyesshone，andtheflowingdroopofherlong，fullsleevesgavetoherpoisedfigurethelookofonewhoflies。Hepulledhimselfupandstoodbesideher；

hisheartchokedhim，allthecolourhadlefthischeeks。

"Antonia，"hesaid，"Iloveyou。"

Shestarted，asifhiswhisperhadintrudedonherthoughts；buthisfacemusthaveexpressedhishunger，fortheresentmentinhereyesvanished。

Theystoodforseveralminuteswithoutspeaking，andthenwenthome。

Sheltonpainfullyrevolvedtheriddleofthecolourinherface。Hadheachancethen？Wasitpossible？ThateveningtheinstinctvouchsafedattimestoloversinplaceofreasoncausedhimtopackhisbagandgotoCannes。Onreturning，twodayslater，andapproachingthegroupinthecentreoftheWinterGarden，thevoiceofthemaidenauntreadingaloudanextractfromtheMorningPostreachedhimacrosstheroom。

"Don\'tyouthinkthat\'srathernice？"heheardherask，andthen:

"Oh，hereyouaye!It\'sverynicetoseeyouback!"

Sheltonslippedintoawickerchair。Antonialookedupquicklyfromhersketch-book，putoutahand，butdidnotspeak。

Hewatchedherbendinghead，andhiseagernesswaschangedtogloom。

Withdesperatevivacityhesustainedthefiveintolerableminutesofinquiry，wherehadhebeen，whathadhebeendoing？ThenonceagainthemaidenauntcommencedherextractsfromtheMorningPost。

Atouchonhissleevestartledhim。Antoniawasleaningforward；hercheekswerecrimsonabovethepallorofherneck。

"Wouldyouliketoseemysketches？"

ToShelton，bendingabovethosesketches，thatdrawlofthewell-bredmaidenauntintoningthewell-bredpaperwasthemostpleasantsoundthathehadeverlistenedto。

"MydearDick，"Mrs。Dennantsaidtohimafortnightlater，"wewouldrather，afteryouleavehere，thatyoudon\'tseeeachotheragainuntilJuly。OfcourseIknowyoucountitanengagementandallthat，andeverybody\'sbeenwritin\'tocongratulateyou。ButAlgiethinksyououghttogiveyourselvesachance。Youngpeopledon\'talwaysknowwhatthey\'reabout，youknow；it\'snotlongtowait。"

"Threemonths!"gaspedShelton。

Hehadtoswallowdownthispillwithwhatgracehecouldcommand。

Therewasnoalternative。Antoniahadacquiescedintheconditionwithaqueer，gravepleasure，asifsheexpectedittodohergood。

"It\'llbesomethingtolookforwardto，Dick，"shesaid。

Hepostponeddepartureaslongaspossible，anditwasnotuntiltheendofAprilthatheleftforEngland。Shecamealonetoseehimoff。Itwasdrizzling，buthertall，slightfigureinthegolfcapelookedimpervioustocoldandrainamongsttheshiveringnatives。

Desperatelyheclutchedherhand，warmthroughthewetglove；hersmileseemedheartlessinitsbrilliancy。Hewhispered"Youwillwrite？"

"Ofcourse；don\'tbesostupid，youoldDick!"

Sheranforwardasthetrainbegantomove；herclear"Good-bye!"

soundedshrillandhardabovetherumbleofthewheels。Hesawherraiseherhand，anumbrellawaving，andlastofall，vividstillamongstrecedingshapes，theredspotofherscarlettam-o\'-shanter。