\"Yes,fled,mychild。\"Andsheseizedherdaughterinherarms,andpressedhercloselytoherbosom。\"Cowardsalwaysfly。\"
\"IsMr。O\'Brienacoward?\"Idaasked。
\"Yes,acoward,averycoward!Andhehasfledbeforetheglanceofanhonestwoman\'seye。Come,Mrs。Mackinnon,shallwegobacktothecity?Iamsorrythattheamusementofthedayshouldhavereceivedthischeck。\"Andshewalkedforwardtothecarriageandtookherplaceinitwithanairthatshowedthatshewasproudofthewayinwhichshehadconductedherself。
\"Sheisalittleconceitedaboutitafterall,\"saidthatunmarriedlady。\"IfpoorMr。O\'BrienhadnotshownsomuchprematureanxietywithreferencetothatlittlejourneytoNaples,thingsmighthavegonequietlyafterall。\"
Buttheunmarriedladywaswronginherjudgment。Mrs。Talboyswasproudandconceitedinthematter,butnotproudofhavingexcitedtheadmirationofherIrishlover。Shewasproudofherownsubsequentconduct,andgaveherselfcreditforcomingoutstronglyasanoble-mindedmatron。\"Ibelieveshethinks,\"saidMrs。
Mackinnon,\"thathervirtueisquiteSpartanandunique;andifsheremainsinRomeshe\'llboastofitthroughthewholewinter。\"
\"Ifshedoes,shemaybecertainthatO\'Brienwilldothesame,\"
saidMackinnon。\"Andinspiteofhishavingfledfromthefield,itisuponthecardsthathemaygetthebestofit。Mrs。Talboysisaveryexcellentwoman。Shehasprovedherexcellencebeyondadoubt。
But,nevertheless,sheissusceptibleofridicule。\"
WeallfeltalittleanxietytohearO\'Brien\'saccountofthematter,andafterhavingdepositedtheladiesattheirhomes,MackinnonandIwentofftohislodgings。Atfirsthewasdeniedtous,butafterawhilewegothisservanttoacknowledgethathewasathome,andthenwemadeourwayuptohisstudio。Wefoundhimseatedbehindahalf-formedmodel,orratheramerelumpofclaypunchedintosomethingresemblingtheshapeofahead,withapipeinhismouthandabitofstickinhishand。Hewaspretendingtowork,thoughwebothknewthatitwasoutofthequestionthatheshoulddoanythinginhispresentframeofmind。
\"IthinkIheardmyservanttellyouthatIwasnotathome,\"saidhe。
\"Yes,hedid,\"saidMackinnon,\"andwouldhavesworntoittooifwewouldhavelethim。Come,don\'tpretendtobesurly。\"
\"Iamverybusy,Mr。Mackinnon。\"
\"CompletingyourheadofMrs。Talboys,Isuppose,beforeyoustartforNaples。\"
\"Youdon\'tmeantosaythatshehastoldyouallaboutit,\"andheturnedawayfromhiswork,andlookedupintoourfaceswithacomicalexpression,halfoffunandhalfofdespair。
\"Everywordofit,\"saidI。\"Whenyouwantaladytotravelwithyou,neveraskhertogetupsoearlyinwinter。\"
\"But,O\'Brien,howcouldyoubesuchanass?\"saidMackinnon。\"Asithasturnedout,thereisnoverygreatharmdone。Youhaveinsultedarespectablemiddle-agedwoman,themotherofafamily,andthewifeofageneralofficer,andthereisanendofit;
unless,indeed,thegeneralofficershouldcomeoutfromEnglandtocallyoutoaccount。\"
\"Heiswelcome,\"saidO\'Brien,haughtily。
\"Nodoubt,mydearfellow,\"saidMackinnon;\"thatwouldbeadignifiedandpleasantendingtotheaffair。ButwhatIwanttoknowisthis;whatwouldyouhavedoneifshehadagreedtogo?\"
\"Henevercalculatedonthepossibilityofsuchacontingency,\"saidI。
\"Byheavens,then,Ithoughtshewouldlikeit,\"saidhe。
\"Andtoobligeheryouwerecontenttosacrificeyourself,\"saidMackinnon。
\"Well,thatwasjustit。Whatthedeuceisafellowtodowhenawomangoesoninthatway。Shetoldmedownthere,upontheoldracecourseyouknow,thatmatrimonialbondsweremadeforfoolsandslaves。WhatwasItosupposethatshemeantbythat?Buttomakeallsure,IaskedherwhatsortofafellowtheGeneralwas。\'Dearoldman,\'shesaid,claspingherhandstogether。\'Hemight,youknow,havebeenmyfather。\'\'Iwishhewere,\'saidI,\'becausethenyou\'dbefree。\'\'Iamfree,\'saidshe,stampingontheground,andlookingupatmeasmuchastosaythatshecaredfornoone。
\'Then,\'saidI,\'acceptallthatisleftoftheheartofWenceslausO\'Brien,\'andIthrewmyselfbeforeherinherpath。\'Hand,\'saidI,\'Ihavenonetogive,butthebloodwhichrunsredthroughmyveinsisdescendedfromadoublelineofkings。\'Isaidthatbecausesheisalwaysfondofridingahighhorse。Ihadgottencloseunderthewall,sothatnoneofyoushouldseemefromthetower。\"
\"Andwhatanswerdidshemake?\"saidMackinnon。
\"WhyshewaspleasedasPunch;gavemebothherhands,anddeclaredthatwewouldbefriendsforever。Itismybelief,Mackinnon,thatthatwomanneverheardanythingofthekindbefore。TheGeneral,nodoubt,diditbyletter。\"
\"Andhowwasitthatshechangedhermind?\"
\"Why;Igotup,putmyarmroundherwaist,andtoldherthatwewouldbeofftoNaples。I\'mblestifshedidn\'tgivemeaknockintheribsthatnearlysentmebackwards。Shetookmybreathaway,sothatIcouldn\'tspeaktoher。\"
\"Andthen\"
\"Oh,therewasnothingmore。OfcourseIsawhowitwas。SoshewalkedoffonewayandItheother。OnthewholeIconsiderthatI
amwelloutofit。\"
\"AndsodoI,\"saidMackinnon,verygravely。\"Butifyouwillallowmetogiveyoumyadvice,Iwouldsuggestthatitwouldbewelltoavoidsuchmistakesinfuture。\"
\"Uponmyword,\"saidO\'Brien,excusinghimself,\"Idon\'tknowwhatamanistodoundersuchcircumstances。IgiveyoumyhonourthatI
diditalltoobligeher。\"
WethendecidedthatMackinnonshouldconveytotheinjuredladythehumbleapologyofherlateadmirer。Itwassettledthatnodetailedexcusesshouldbemade。Itshouldbelefttohertoconsiderwhetherthedeedwhichhadbeendonemighthavebeenoccasionedbywine,orbythefollyofamoment,orbyherownindiscreetenthusiasm。Noonebutthetwowerepresentwhenthemessagewasgiven,andthereforewewereobligedtotrusttoMackinnon\'saccuracyforanaccountofit。
Shestoodonveryhighgroundindeed,hesaid,atfirstrefusingtohearanythingthathehadtosayonthematter。\"Thefoolishyoungman,\"shedeclared,\"wasbelowherangerandbelowhercontempt。\"
\"HeisnotthefirstIrishmanthathasbeenmadeindiscreetbybeauty,\"saidMackinnon。
\"Atrucetothat,\"shereplied,wavingherhandwithanairofassumedmajesty。\"Theincident,contemptibleasitis,hasbeenunpleasanttome。ItwillnecessitatemywithdrawalfromRome。\"
\"Oh,no,Mrs。Talboys;thatwillbemakingtoomuchofhim。\"
\"Thegreatestherothatlives,\"sheanswered,\"mayhavehishousemadeuninhabitablebyaverysmallinsect。\"Mackinnonsworethatthosewereherownwords。ConsequentlyasobriquetwasattachedtoO\'Brienofwhichhebynomeansapproved。AndfromthatdaywealwayscalledMrs。Talboys\"thehero。\"
Mackinnonprevailedatlastwithher,andshedidnotleaveRome。
ShewaseveninducedtosendamessagetoO\'Brien,conveyingherforgiveness。TheyshookhandstogetherwithgreateclatinMrs。
Mackinnon\'sdrawing-room;butIdonotsupposethatsheeveragainofferedtohimsympathyonthescoreofhismatrimonialtroubles。