第6章

WhenshedidthistoMackinnon，whowasmucholderthanherself，wehadbeenallamusedbyit，and，otherladiesofourpartyhadtakentocallhim"Mackinnon"whenMrs。Talboyswasnotby；butwehadfeltthecomedytobelesssafewithO\'Brien，especiallywhen，ononeoccasion，weheardhimaddressherasArabella。Shedidnotseemtobeinanywaystruckbyhisdoingso，andwesupposed，therefore，thatithadbecomefrequentbetweenthem。WhatreplyhemadeatthemomentabouttheheartofamanIdonotknow；andtheninafewminutestheydisappearedthroughthegapinthewall。

Noneofusfollowedthem，thoughitwouldhaveseemedthemostnaturalthingintheworldtodosohadnothingoutofthewaybeenexpected。Asitwasweremainedthereroundthetombquizzingthelittlefoiblesofourdearfriend，andhopingthatO\'Brienwouldbequickinwhathewasdoing。Thathewouldundoubtedlygetaslapinthefacemetaphoricallyweallfeltcertain，fornoneofusdoubtedtherigidproprietyofthelady\'sintentions。Someofusstrolledintothebuildings，andsomeofusgotoutontotheroad；

butweallofuswerethinkingthatO\'BrienwasveryslowaconsiderabletimebeforewesawMrs。Talboysreappearthroughthegap。

Atlast，however，shewasthere，andweatoncesawthatshewasalone。Shecameon，breastingthehillwithquicksteps，andwhenshedrewnearwecouldseethattherewasafrownasofinjuredmajestyonherbrow。Mackinnonandhiswifewentforwardtomeether。Ifshewerereallyintroubleitwouldbefittinginsomewaytoassisther；andofallwomenMrs。Mackinnonwasthelasttoseeanotherwomansufferfromill-usagewithoutattemptingtoaidher。

"Icertainlyneverlikedher，"Mrs。Mackinnonsaidafterwards；"butIwasboundtogoandhearhertale，whenshereallyhadataletotell。"

AndMrs。Talboysnowhadataletotell，ifshechosetotellit。

TheladiesofourpartydeclaredafterwardsthatshewouldhaveactedmorewiselyhadshekepttoherselfbothO\'Brien\'swordstoherandheranswer。"Shewaswellabletotakecareofherself，"

Mrs。Mackinnonsaid；"and，afterall，thesillymanhadtakenananswerwhenhegotit。"Not，however，thatO\'Brienhadtakenhisanswerquiteimmediately，asfarasIcouldunderstandfromwhatweheardofthematterafterwards。

AtthepresentmomentMrs。Talboyscameuptherisinggroundallalone，andataquickpace。"Themanhasinsultedme，"shesaidaloud，aswellasherpantingbreathwouldallowher，andassoonasshewasnearenoughtoMrs。Mackinnontospeaktoher。

"Iamsorryforthat，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。"Isupposehehastakenalittletoomuchwine。"

"No；itwasapremeditatedinsult。Thebase-heartedchurlhasfailedtounderstandthemeaningoftrue，honestsympathy。"

"Hewillforgetallaboutitwhenheissober，"saidMackinnon，meaningtocomforther。

"WhatcareIwhatheremembersorwhatheforgets！"shesaid，turninguponpoorMackinnonindignantly。"Youmengrovelsoinyourideas""Andyet，"asMackinnonsaidafterwards，"shehadbeentellingmethatIwasafoolforthelastthreeweeks。""Youmengrovelsoinyourideas，thatyoucannotunderstandthefeelingsofatrue-heartedwoman。Whatcanhisforgetfulnessorhisremembrancebetome？MustnotIrememberthisinsult？IsitpossiblethatI

shouldforgetit？"

Mr。andMrs。Mackinnononlyhadgoneforwardtomeether；but，nevertheless，shespokesoloudthatallheardherwhowerestillclusteredroundthespotonwhichwehaddined。

"WhathasbecomeofMr。O\'Brien？"aladywhisperedtome。

Ihadafield-glasswithme，and，lookinground，Isawhishatashewaswalkinginsidethewallsofthecircusinthedirectiontowardsthecity。"Andveryfoolishhemustfeel，"saidthelady。

"Nodoubtheisusedtoit，"saidanother。

"Butconsideringherage，youknow，"saidthefirst，whomighthavebeenperhapsthreeyearsyoungerthanMrs。Talboys，andwhowasnotherselfaversetotheexcitementofamoderateflirtation。Butthenwhyshouldshehavebeenaverse，seeingthatshehadnotasyetbecomesubjecttothewillofanyimperiallord？

"Hewouldhavefeltmuchmorefoolish，"saidthethird，"ifshehadlistenedtowhathesaidtoher。"

"WellIdon\'tknow，"saidthesecond；"nobodywouldhaveknownanythingaboutitthen，andinafewweekstheywouldhavegraduallybecometiredofeachotherintheordinaryway。"

ButinthemeantimeMrs。Talboyswasamongus。Therehadbeennoattemptatsecresy，andshewasstillloudlyinveighingagainstthegrovellingpropensitiesofmen。"That\'squitetrue，Mrs。Talboys，"

saidoneoftheelderladies；"butthenwomenarenotalwayssocarefulastheyshouldbe。OfcourseIdonotmeantosaythattherehasbeenanyfaultonyourpart。"

"Faultonmypart！Ofcoursetherehasbeenfaultonmypart。Noonecanmakeanymistakewithoutfaulttosomeextent。Itookhimtobeamanofsense，andheisafool。GotoNaplesindeed！"

"DidhewantyoutogotoNaples？"askedMrs。Mackinnon。

"Yes；thatwaswhathesuggested。WeweretoleavebythetrainforCivitaVecchiaatsixto-morrowmorningandcatchthesteamerwhichleavesLeghornto-night。Don\'ttellmeofwine。Hewaspreparedforit！"Andshelookedroundaboutonuswithanairofinjuredmajestyinherfacewhichwasalmostinsupportable。

"Iwonderwhetherhetooktheticketsover-night，"saidMackinnon。

"Naples！"shesaid，asthoughnowspeakingexclusivelytoherself；

"theonlygroundinItalywhichhasasyetmadenostruggleonbehalfoffreedom；afittingresidenceforsuchadastard！"

"Youwouldhavefounditverypleasantatthisseason，"saidtheunmarriedlady，whowasthreeyearsherjunior。

MywifehadtakenIdaoutofthewaywhenthefirstcomplainingnotefromMrs。Talboyshadbeenheardascendingthehill。Butnow，whenmattersbegangraduallytobecomequiescent，shebroughtherback，suggesting，asshedidso，thattheymightbegintothinkofreturning。

"Itisgettingverycold，Ida，dear，isitnot？"saidshe。

"ButwhereisMr。O\'Brien？"saidIda。

"Hehasfled，aspoltroonsalwaysfly，"saidMrs。Talboys。I

believeinmyheartthatshewouldhavebeengladtohavehadhimthereinthemiddleofthecircle，andtohavetriumphedoverhimpubliclyamongusall。Nofeelingofshamewouldhavekepthersilentforamoment。

"Fled！"saidIda，lookingupintohermother\'sface。