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〃No doubt he is used to it；〃 said another。
〃But considering her age； you know；〃 said the first； who might have
been perhaps three years younger than Mrs。 Talboys； and who was not
herself averse to the excitement of a moderate flirtation。 But then why
should she have been averse； seeing that she had not as yet become subject
to the will of any imperial lord？
〃He would have felt much more foolish；〃 said the third； 〃if she had
listened to what he said to her。〃
〃Well； I don't know；〃 said the second； 〃nobody would have known
anything about it then； and in a few weeks they would have gradually
become tired of each other in the ordinary way。〃
But in the meantime Mrs。 Talboys was among us。 There had been no
attempt at secrecy； and she was still loudly inveighing against the
grovelling propensities of men。 〃That's quite true； Mrs。 Talboys；〃 said one
of the elder ladies； 〃but then women are not always so careful as they
should be。 Of course I do not mean to say that there has been any fault on
your part。〃
〃Fault on my part！ Of course there has been fault on my part。 No one
can make any mistake without fault to some extent。 I took him to be a man
of sense； and he is a fool。 Go to Naples indeed。〃
〃Did he want you to go to Naples？〃 asked Mrs。 Mackinnon。
〃Yes； that was what he suggested。 We were to leave by the train for
Civita Vecchia at six to…morrow morning； and catch the steamer which
leaves Leghorn to…night。 Don't tell me of wine。 He was prepared for it！〃
And she looked round about on us with an air of injured majesty in her
face which was almost insupportable。
〃I wonder whether he took the tickets overnight；〃 said Mackinnon。
〃Naples！〃 she said； as though now speaking exclusively to herself； 〃the
only ground in Italy which has as yet made no struggle on behalf of
freedoma fitting residence for such a dastard！〃
〃You would have found it very pleasant at this season；〃 said the
unmarried lady who was three years her junior。
My wife had taken Ida out of the way when the first complaining note
from Mrs。 Talboys had been heard ascending the hill。 But now； when
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matters began gradually to become quiescent； she brought her back；
suggesting as she did so that they might begin to think of returning。
〃It is getting very cold； Ida dear； is it not？〃 said she。
〃But where is Mr。 O'Brien？〃 said Ida。
〃He has fledas poltroons always fly；〃 said Mrs。 Talboys。 I believe in
my heart that she would have been glad to have had him there in the
middle of the circle； and to have triumphed over him publicly among us all。
No feeling of shame would have kept her silent for a moment。
〃Fled！〃 said Ida； looking up into her mother's face。
〃Yes； fled； my child。〃 And she seized her daughter in her arms； and
pressed her closely to her bosom。 〃Cowards always fly。〃
〃Is Mr。 O'Brien a coward？〃 Ida asked。
〃Yes； a coward； a very coward！ And he has fled before the glance of an
honest woman's eye。 Come； Mrs。 Mackinnon； shall we go back to the city？
I am sorry that the amusement of the day should have received this
check。〃 And she walked forward to the carriage and took her place in it
with an air that showed that she was proud of the way in which she had
conducted herself。
〃She is a little conceited about it after all；〃 said that unmarried lady。 〃If
poor Mr。 O'Brien had not shown so much premature anxiety with
reference to that little journey to Naples； things might have gone quietly
after all。〃
But the unmarried lady was wrong in her judgment。 Mrs。 Talboys was
proud and conceited in the matter； but not proud of having excited the
admiration of her Irish lover。 She was proud of her own subsequent
conduct； and gave herself credit for coming out strongly as the noble…
minded matron。 〃I believe she thinks；〃 said Mrs。 Mackinnon； 〃that her
virtue is quite Spartan and unique； and if she remains in Rome she'll boast
of it through the whole winter。〃
〃If she does； she may be certain that O'Brien will do the same；〃 said
Mackinnon。 〃And in spite of his having fled from the field； it is upon the
cards that he may get the best of it。 Mrs。 Talboys is a very excellent
woman。 She has proved her excellence beyond a doubt。 But nevertheless
she is susceptible of ridicule。〃
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We all felt a little anxiety to hear O'Brien's account of the matter； and
after having deposited the ladies at their homes Mackinnon and I went off
to his lodgings。 At first he was denied to us； but after a while we got his
servant to acknowledge that he was at home； and then we made our way
up to his studio。 We found him seated behind a half… formed model； or
rather a mere lump of clay punched into something resembling the shape
of a head； with a pipe in his mouth and a bit of stick in his hand。 He was
pretending to work； though we both knew that it was out of the question
that he should do anything in his present frame of mind。
〃I think I heard my servant tell you that I was not at home；〃 said he。
〃Yes； he did；〃 said Mackinnon； 〃and would have sworn it too if we
would have let him。 Come； don't pretend to be surly。〃
〃I am very busy； Mr。 Mackinnon。〃
〃Completing your head of Mrs。 Talboys； I suppose； before you start for
Naples。〃
〃You don't mean to say that she has told you all about it？〃 And he
turned away from his work； and looked up into our faces with a comical
expression； half of fun and half of despair。
〃Every word of it；〃 said I。 〃When you want a lady to travel with you
never ask her to get up so early in winter。〃
〃But； O'Brien； how could you be such an ass？〃 said Mackinnon。 〃As it
has turned out； there is no very great harm done。 You have insulted a
respectable middle…aged woman； the mother of a family and the wife of a
general officer； and there is an end of itunless； indeed； the general officer
should come out from England to call you to account。〃
〃He is welcome；〃 said O'Brien haughtily。
〃No doubt； my dear fellow；〃 said Mackinnon； 〃that would be a
dignified and pleasant ending to the affair。 But what I want to know is this：
what would you have done if she had agreed to go？〃
〃He never calculated on the possibility of such a contingency；〃 said I。
〃By heavens； then； I thought she would like it；〃 said he。
〃And to oblige her you were content to sacrifice yourself；〃 said
Mackinnon。
〃Well； that was just it。 What the deuce is a fellow to do when a woman
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goes on in that way？ She told me down there； upon the old race…course；
you know； that matrimonial bonds were made for fools and slaves。 What
was I to suppose that she meant by that？ But； to make all sure； I asked her
what sort of a fellow the general was。 'Dear old man；' she said； clasping
her hands together。 'He might； you know； have been my father。' 'I wish he
were；' said I； 'because then you'd be free。' 'I am free；' said she； stamping on
the ground； and looking up at me so much as to say that she cared for no
one。 'Then；' said I； 'accept all that is left of the heart of Wenceslaus
O'Brien；' and I threw myself before her in her path。 'Hand；' said I； 'I have
none to give； but the blood which runs red through my veins is descended
from a double line of kings。' I said that because she is always fond of
riding a high horse。 I had gotten close under the wall so that none of you
should see me from the tower。〃
〃And what answer did she make？〃 said Mackinnon。
〃Why； she was pleased as Punchgave me both her hands and
declared that we would be friends for ever。 It is my belief； Mackinnon； that
that woman never heard anything of the kind before。