SCENE--_The roof of Milan Cathedral; the innumerable statues
and fretted pinnacles show in dazzling relief against the
intense blue sky. Through the open-work of the parapet is seen
the vast Piazza, with its yellow toy tram-cars, and the small
crawling figures which cast inordinately long shadows. All
around is a maze of pale brown roofs, and beyond, the green
plain blending on the horizon with dove-coloured clouds in
a quivering violet haze. CULCHARD is sitting by a small
doorway at the foot of a flight of steps leading to the
Spire._
[Illustration: "She passes on with her chin in the air!"]
_Culchard_ (_meditating_). I think MAUD must have seen from the tone
in which I said I preferred to remain below, that I object to that
cousin of hers perpetually coming about with us as he does. She's far
too indulgent to him--a posing, affected prig, always talking about
the wonderful things he's _going_ to write! He had the impudence to
tell me I didn't know the most elementary laws of the sonnet this
morning! Withering repartee seems to have no effect whatever on him,
I wish I had some of PODBURY's faculty for flippant chaff! I wonder
if he and the PRENDERGASTS really are at Milan. I certainly thought I
recognised ----. If they are, it's very bad taste of them, after the
pointed way in which they left Bellagio. I only hope we shan't--
[_Here the figure of Miss PRENDERGAST suddenly emerges from
the door; CULCHARD rises and stands aside to let her pass;
she returns his salutation distantly, and passes on with her
chin in the air; her brother follows, with a side-jerk of
recognition. PODBURY comes last, and halts undecidedly._
_Podb._ (_with a rather awkward laugh_). Here we are again, eh?
(_Looks after_ Miss P., _hesitates, and finally sits down by_
CULCHARD.) Where's the fascinating Miss TROTTER? How do you come to be
off duty like this?
_Culch._ (_stiffly_). The fascinating Miss TROTTER is up above with
VAN BOODELER, so my services are not required.
_Podb._ Up above? And HYPATIA just gone up with BOB! Whew, there'll be
ructions presently! Well out of it, you and I! So it's BOODELER's turn
now? That's rough on _you_--after HYPATIA had whistled poor old BOB
off. As much out in the cold as ever, eh?
_Culch._ I am nothing of the kind. I find him distasteful to me,
and avoid him as much as I can, that's all. I wish, PODBURY, er--I
_almost_ wish you could have stayed with me, instead of allowing the
PRENDERGASTS to carry you off as you did. You would have kept VAN
BOODELER in order.
_Podb._ Much obliged, old chap; but I'm otherwise engaged. Being kept
in order myself. Oh, I _like_ it, you know. She's developing my mind
like winking. Spent the whole morning at the Brera, mugging up these
old Italian Johnnies. They really are clinkers, you know. RAPHAEL,
eh?--and GIOTTO, and MANTEGNA, and all that lot. As HYPATIA says, for
intensity of--er religious feeling, and--and subtlety of symbolism,
and--and so on, they simply take the cake--romp in, and the rest
nowhere! I'm getting quite the connoisseur, I can tell you!
_Culch._ Evidently. I suppose there's no chance of a--a
_reconciliation_ up there? [_With some alarm._
_Podb._ Don't you be afraid. When HYPATIA once gets her quills up,
they don't subside so easily! Hallo! isn't this old TROTTER?
[_That gentleman appears in the doorway._
_Mr. T._ Why, Mr. PODBURY, so you've come along here? That's _right_!
And how do you like Milan? I like the place first-rate--it's a
live city, Sir. And I like this old cathedral, too; it's well
constructed--they've laid out money on it. I call it real ornamental,
all these little figgers they've stuck around--and not two of 'em a
pair either. Now, they might have had 'em all alike, and no one any
the wiser up so high as this; but it certainly gives it more variety,
too, having them different. Well, I'm going up as high as ever I _can_
go. You two better come along up with me.
_ON THE TOP._
_Miss P._ (_as she perceives Miss T. and her companion_). Now, BOB,
pray remember all I've told you! [_BOB turns away, petulantly._
_Miss T._ (_aside, to VAN B._). I guess the air's got cooler up
here, CHARLEY. But if that girl imagines she's going to freeze _me_!
(_Advancing to Miss P._) Why, my dear, it's almost too sweet for
anything, meeting you again!
_Miss P._ You're extremely kind, MAUD; I wish I could return the
compliment; but really, after what took place at Bellagio, I--
_Miss T._ (_taking her arm_). Well, I'll own up to being pretty
horrid--and so were you; but there don't seem any sense in our meeting
up here like a couple of strange cats on tiles. I won't fly out
anymore, there! I'm just dying for a reconciliation; and so is Mr.
VAN BOODELER. The trouble I've had to console that man! He never met
anybody before haff so interested in the great Amurrcan Novel. And
he's wearying for another talk. So you'd better give that hatchet a
handsome funeral, and come along and take pity on him.
[_HYP., after a struggle, yields, half-reluctantly, and allows
herself to be taken across to Mr. VAN B., who greets her
effusively. Miss T. leaves them together._
_Bob P._ (_who has been prudently keeping in the background till now,
decides that his chance has come_). How do you do. Miss TROTTER? It's
awfully jolly to meet you again like this!
_Miss. T._ Well, I guess that remark would have been more convincing
if you'd made it a few minutes earlier.
_Bob_. I--I--you see, I didn't know.... I was afraid--I rather
thought--
_Miss T._ You don't get much further with _rather_ thinking, as a
general rule, than if you didn't think at all. But if you're at all
anxious to run away the way you did at Bellagio, you needn't be afraid
_I'll_ hinder you.
_Bob_. (_earnestly_). Run away! _Do_ you think I'd have gone if--I've
felt dull enough ever since, without _that_.'
_Miss T._ Oh, I expect you've had a beautiful time. _We_ have.
_Miss P._ (_coming up_). ROBERT, I thought you wanted to see the Alps?
You should come over to the other side, and--
_Miss T._ I'll undertake that he sees the Alps, darling,
presently--when we're through our talk.
_Miss P._ As you please, dear. But (_pointedly_) did I not see Mr.
CULCHARD below?
_Miss T._ You don't mean to say you're wearied of Mr. VAN BOODELER
_already_! Well, Mr. CULCHARD will be along soon, and I'll loan him
to you. I'll tell him you're vurry anxious to converse with him some
more. He's just coming along now, with Mr. PODBURY and Poppa.
_Miss P._ (_under her breath_). MAUD! if you _dare_--!
_Miss T._ Don't you _dare_ me, then--or you'll see. But I don't want
to be mean unless I'm obliged to.
[_Mr. TROTTER, followed by CULCHARD and PODBURY, arrives
at the upper platform. CULCHARD and PODBURY efface
themselves as much as possible. Mr. TROTTER greets Miss
PRENDERGAST heartily._
_Mr. T._ Well now, I call this sociable, meeting all together again
like this. I don't see why in the land we didn't _keep_ together. I've
been saying so to my darter here, ever since Bellagio--ain't that so,
MAUD? And _she_ didn't know just how it came about either.
_Miss P._ (_hurriedly_). We--we had to be getting on. And I am afraid
we must say good-bye now, Mr. TROTTER. I want BOB and Mr. PODBURY
to see the Da Vinci fresco, you know, before the light goes. (Bob
_mutters a highly disrespectful wish concerning that work of Art._) We
_may_ see you again, before we leave for Verona.
_Mr. T._ Verona? Well, I don't care if I see Verona myself. Seems a
pity to separate now we _have_ met, _don't_ it? See here, now, we'll
_all_ go along to Verona together--how's that, MAUD? Start whenever
_you_ feel like it, Miss PRENDERGAST. How does that proposal strike
you? I'll be real hurt if you cann't take to my idea.
_Miss T._ The fact is, Poppa, HYPATIA isn't just sure that Mr.
PRENDERGAST wouldn't object.
_Bob P._ I--object? Not _much_! Just what I should _like_, seeing
Verona with--all _together_, you know!
_Miss T._ Then I guess _that's_ fixed. (_Aside, to Miss P., who is
speechless_). Come, you haven't the heart to go and disappoint my poor
Cousin CHARLEY by saying you won't go! He'll be perfectly enchanted
to be under vow--unless you've filled up _all_ the vacancies already!
(_Aloud, to VAN B., as he approaches_.) We've persuaded Miss
PRENDERGAST to join our party. I hope you feel equal to entertaining
her?
_Van B._ I shall be proud to be permitted to try. (_To Miss P._) Then
I may take it that you agree with me that the function of the future
American fictionist will be-- [_They move away, conversing._
_Podb._ (_To CULCH._) I say, old fellow, we're to be travelling
companions again, after all. And a jolly good thing, too, _I_
think!... eh?
_Culch._ Oh, h'm--quite so. That is--but no doubt it will be an
advantage--(_with a glance at Van B., who is absorbed in Miss P.'s
conversation_)--in--er--_some_ respects. (_To himself._) Hardly from
poor dear PODBURY's point of view, I'm afraid, though! However, if
_he_ sees nothing--! [_He shrugs his shoulders, pityingly._
* * * * *