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the diary of a man of fifty-第8章

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see the man by whose hand her husband had fallen。〃



〃The husband had been a great brute; and it was not known;〃 said 

Stanmer。



〃Its not being known made no difference。  And as for Salvi having 

been a brute; that is but a way of saying that his wife; and the man 

whom his wife subsequently married; didn't like him。〃



Stanmer hooked extremely meditative; his eyes were fixed on mine。  

〃Yes; that marriage is hard to get over。  It was not becoming。〃



〃Ah;〃 said I; 〃what a long breath I drew when I heard of it!  I 

remember the place and the hour。  It was at a hill…station in India; 

seven years after I had left Florence。  The post brought me some 

English papers; and in one of them was a letter from Italy; with a 

lot of so…called 'fashionable intelligence。'  There; among various 

scandals in high life; and other delectable items; I read that the 

Countess Bianca Salvi; famous for some years as the presiding genius 

of the most agreeable seen in Florence; was about to bestow her hand 

upon Count Camerino; a distinguished Bolognese。  Ah; my dear boy; it 

was a tremendous escape!  I had been ready to marry the woman who was 

capable of that!  But my instinct had warned me; and I had trusted my 

instinct。〃



〃'Instinct's everything;' as Falstaff says!〃  And Stanmer began to 

laugh。  〃Did you tell Madame de Salvi that your instinct was against 

her?〃



〃No; I told her that she frightened me; shocked me; horrified me。〃



〃That's about the same thing。  And what did she say?〃



〃She asked me what I would have?  I called her friendship with 

Camerino a scandal; and she answered that her husband had been a 

brute。  Besides; no one knew it; therefore it was no scandal。  Just 

YOUR argument!  I retorted that this was odious reasoning; and that 

she had no moral sense。  We had a passionate argument; and I declared 

I would never see her again。  In the heat of my displeasure I left 

Florence; and I kept my vow。  I never saw her again。〃



〃You couldn't have been much in love with her;〃 said Stanmer。



〃I was notthree months after。〃



〃If you had been you would have come backthree days after。〃



〃So doubtless it seems to you。  All I can say is that it was the 

great effort of my life。  Being a military man; I have had on various 

occasions to face time enemy。  But it was not then I needed my 

resolution; it was when I left Florence in a post…chaise。〃



Stanmer turned about the room two or three times; and then he said:  

〃I don't understand!  I don't understand why she should have told you 

that Camerino had killed her husband。  It could only damage her。〃



〃She was afraid it would damage her more that I should think he was 

her lover。  She wished to say the thing that would most effectually 

persuade me that he was not her loverthat he could never be。  And 

then she wished to get the credit of being very frank。〃



〃Good heavens; how you must have analysed her!〃 cried my companion; 

staring。



〃There is nothing so analytic as disillusionment。  But there it is。  

She married Camerino。〃



〃Yes; I don't lime that;〃 said Stanmer。  He was silent a while; and 

then he added〃Perhaps she wouldn't have done so if you had 

remained。〃



He has a little innocent way!  〃Very likely she would have dispensed 

with the ceremony;〃 I answered; drily。



〃Upon my word;〃 he said; 〃you HAVE analysed her!〃



〃You ought to he grateful to me。  I have done for you what you seem 

unable to do for yourself。〃



〃I don't see any Camerino in my case;〃 he said。



〃Perhaps among those gentlemen I can find one for you。〃



〃Thank you;〃 he cried; 〃I'll take care of that myself!〃  And he went 

awaysatisfied; I hope。



10th。He's an obstinate little wretch; it irritates me to see him 

sticking to it。  Perhaps he is looking for his Camerino。  I shall 

leave him; at any rate; to his fate; it is growing insupportably hot。



11th。I went this evening to bid farewell to the Scarabelli。  There 

was no one there; she was alone in her great dusky drawing…room; 

which was lighted only by a couple of candles; with the immense 

windows open over the garden。  She was dressed in white; she was 

deucedly pretty。  She asked me; of course; why I had been so long 

without coming。



〃I think you say that only for form;〃 I answered。  〃I imagine you 

know。〃



〃Che! what have I done?〃



〃Nothing at all。  You are too wise for that。〃



She looked at me a while。  〃I think you are a little crazy。〃



〃Ah no; I am only too sane。  I have too much reason rather than too 

little。〃



〃You have; at any rate; what we call a fixed idea。〃



〃There is no harm in that so long as it's a good one。〃



〃But yours is abominable!〃 she exclaimed; with a laugh。



〃Of course you can't like me or my ideas。  All things considered; you 

have treated me with wonderful kindness; and I thank you and kiss 

your hands。  I leave Florence tomorrow。〃



〃I won't say I'm sorry!〃 she said; laughing again。  〃But I am very 

glad to have seen you。  I always wondered about you。  You are a 

curiosity。〃



〃Yes; you must find me so。  A man who can resist your charms!  The 

fact is; I can't。  This evening you are enchanting; and it is the 

first time I have been alone with you。〃



She gave no heed to this; she turned away。  But in a moment she came 

back; and stood looking at me; and her beautiful solemn eyes seemed 

to shine in the dimness of the room。



〃How COULD you treat my mother so?〃 she asked。



〃Treat her so?〃



〃How could you desert the most charming woman in the world?〃



〃It was not a case of desertion; and if it had been it seems to me 

she was consoled。〃



At this moment there was the sound of a step in the ante…chamber; and 

I saw that the Countess perceived it to be Stanmer's。



〃That wouldn't have happened;〃 she murmured。  〃My poor mother needed 

a protector。〃



Stanmer came in; interrupting our talk; and looking at me; I thought; 

with a little air of bravado。  He must think me indeed a tiresome; 

meddlesome bore; and upon my word; turning it all over; I wonder at 

his docility。  After all; he's five…and…twentyand yet I MUST add; 

it DOES irritate methe way he sticks!  He was followed in a moment 

by two or three of the regular Italians; and I made my visit short。



〃Good…bye; Countess;〃 I said; and she gave me her hand in silence。  

〃Do you need a protector?〃 I added; softly。



She looked at me from head to foot; and then; almost angrily〃Yes; 

Signore。〃



But; to deprecate her anger; I kept her hand an instant; and then 

bent my venerable head and kissed it。  I think I appeased her。



BOLOGNA; 14th。I left Florence on the 11th; and have been here these 

three days。  Delightful old Italian townbut it lacks the charm of 

my Florentine secret。



I wrote that last entry five days ago; late at night; after coming 

back from Casa Salsi。  I afterwards fell asleep in my chair; the 

night was half over when I woke up。  Instead of going to bed; I stood 

a long time at the window; looking out at the river。  It was a warm; 

still night; and the first faint streaks of sunrise were in the sky。  

Presently I heard a slow footstep beneath my window; and looking 

down; made out by the aid of a street lamp that Stanmer was but just 

coming home。  I called to him to come to my rooms; and; after an 

interval; he made his appearance。



〃I want to bid you good…bye;〃 I said; 〃I shall depart in the morning。  

Don't go to the trouble of saying you are sorry。  Of course you are 

not; I must have bullied you immensely。〃



He made no attempt to say he was sorry; but he said he was very glad 

to have made my acquaintance。



〃Your conversation;〃 he said; with his little innocent air; 〃has been 

very suggestive。〃



〃Have you found Camerino?〃 I asked; smiling。



〃I have given up the search。〃



〃Well;〃 I said; 〃some day when you find that you have made a great 

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