Cecilia felt that evening as if she could resist Lamberti's influence at
last, for she was out of humour with herself and with every one else.
When they had dined, and had said a multitude of uninteresting things
about Guido, for they were all under a certain constraint while the meal
lasted, they came back to the drawing-room. Lamberti had the inscrutable
look Cecilia had lately seen in his face, and which she took for the
outward sign of his indifference to anything that did not concern his
friend. When he spoke to her, he looked at her as if she were a chair or
a table, and when he was not speaking to her he did not look at her at
all.
In the drawing-room, she waited her opportunity until her mother had sat
down. The butler had set the little tray with the coffee and three cups
on a small three-legged table. On pretence that the latter was unsteady,
Cecilia carried the tray to another place at some distance from her
mother. Lamberti followed her to take the Countess's cup, and then came
back for his own. Cecilia spoke to him in a low voice while she was
putting in the sugar and pouring out the coffee, a duty which in many
parts of Italy and France is still assigned to the daughter of the
house, and recalls a time when servants did not know how to prepare the
beverage.
"Come and talk to me presently," she said. "I am sure you have more to
tell me about him."
"No," said Lamberti, not taking the trouble to lower his voice much,
"there is nothing more to tell. I do not think I have forgotten
anything."
He stirred his coffee slowly, but with evident reluctance to stay near
her. She would not have been a human woman if she had not been annoyed
by his cool manner, and a shade of displeasure passed over her face.
"I have something to say to you," she answered. "I thought you would
understand."
"That is different."
In his turn he showed a little annoyance. They went back together to the
Countess's side, carrying their cups. In due time the good lady went to
write letters, feeling that it was quite safe to leave her daughter with
Lamberti, who seemed to be as cold as ice, and not at all bent on making
himself agreeable. Besides, the Countess was tired of the situation, and
could hardly conceal the fact that she reproached Guido for not getting
well sooner, in order that she might speak to him herself.
There was silence for a time after she had gone into the next room,
while Cecilia and Lamberti sat side by side on the sofa she had left.
Neither seemed inclined to speak first, for both felt that some danger
was at hand, which could not be avoided, but which must be approached
with caution. She wished that he would say something, for she was not at
all sure what she meant to tell him; but he was silent, which was
natural enough, as she had asked for the interview.
She would have given anything to have seen him somewhere else, in new
surroundings, anywhere except in her own drawing-room, where every
familiar object oppressed her and reminded her of her mistakes and
illusions. She felt that she must say something, but the blood rose in
her brain and confused her. He saw her embarrassment, or guessed it.
"So far things have gone better than I expected," he said at last, "but
that only makes the end more doubtful."
She turned to him slowly and with an involuntary look of gratitude for
having broken the silence.
"I mean," he went on, "that since Guido is so ready to grasp at any
straw you throw him, it will be hard to make him understand you, when
things have gone a little further."
"Is that all you mean?" She asked the question almost sharply.
"Yes."
"You do not mean that you still wish I would marry him after--after what
I told you the other evening?"
The interrogation was in her voice, and that was hard, and demanded an
answer. Lamberti looked away, and did not reply at once, for he meant to
tell the exact truth, and was not quite sure where it lay. He felt, too,
that her manner had changed notably since they had last talked, and
though he had no intention of taking the upper hand, it was not in his
nature to submit to any dictation, even from the woman he loved.
"Answer me, please," said Cecilia, rather imperiously.
"Yes, I will. I wish it were possible for you to marry him, that is
all."
"And you know that it is not."
"I am almost sure that it is not."
"How cautious you are!"
"The matter is serious. But you said that you had something to say to
me. What is it?"
"I wanted to tell you that I am sick of all this deception, of writing
notes that are meant to deceive a man for whom I have the most sincere
friendship, of letting the whole world think that I will do what I would
not do, if I were to die for it."
He looked at her, then clasped his hands upon his knees and shook his
head.
"I must see him," she said, after a pause, "I must see him at once, and
you must help me. If I could only speak to him I could make him
understand, and he would be glad I had spoken, and we should always be
good friends. But I must see him alone, and talk to him. Make it
possible, for I know you can. I am not afraid of the consequences. Take
me to him. It is the only true and honest thing to do!"
Lamberti believed that this was true; he was a man of action and had no
respect for society's prejudices, when society was not present to
enforce its laws. It would have seemed incredible to Romans that an
Italian girl could think of doing what Cecilia proposed, and if it were
ever known, her reputation would be gravely damaged. But Cecilia was not
like other young girls; society should never know what she had done, and
she was quite right in saying that her plan was really the best and most
honourable.
"I can take you to him," Lamberti said. "I suppose you know what you are
risking."
"Nothing, if I go with you. You would not let me run any risk."
She did not raise her voice, she hardly changed her tone, but nothing
she had ever said had given him such a thrilling sensation of pleasure.
"Do you trust me as much as that?" he asked.
"Yes, as much as that."
She smiled, and looked down at her hand, and then glanced at him
quickly, and almost happily. If she had studied men for ten years she
could not have found word or look more certain to touch him and win him
to her way.
"Thank you," he said, rather curtly, for he was thinking of another
answer. "If I take you to Guido, what shall you say to him?"
She drew herself up against the back of the sofa, but the smile still
lingered on her lips.
"You must trust me, too," she answered. "Do you think I can compose set
speeches beforehand? When shall we go? How is it to be managed?"
"You often go out with your maid, do you not? What sort of woman is she?
A dragon?"
"No!" Cecilia laughed. "She is very respectable and nice, and thinks I
am perfection. But then, she is terribly near-sighted, and cannot wear
spectacles because they fall off her nose."
"Then she loses her way easily, I suppose?" said Lamberti, too much
intent on his plans to be amused at trifles.
"Yes. She is always losing her way."
"That might easily happen to her in the Palazzo Farnese. It is a huge
place, and you could manage to go up one way while she went up the
other. Besides, there is a lift at the back, not to mention the
servants' staircases, in which she might be hopelessly lost. Can you
trust her not to lose her head and make the porters search the palace
for you, if you are separated from her?"
"I am not sure. But she will stay wherever I tell her to wait for me.
That might be better. You see, my only excuse for going to the Palazzo
Farnese would be to see the ambassador's daughter, and she is in the
country."
"I think she must have come to town for a day or two, for I met her this
afternoon. That is a good reason for going to see her. At the door of
the embassy send your maid on an errand that will take an hour, and tell
her to wait for you in the cab at the gate. If the girl is at home you
need not stay ten minutes. Then you can see Guido during the rest of the
time. It will be long enough, and besides, the maid will wait."
"For ever, if I tell her to! But you, where shall you be?"
"You will meet me on the stairs as you come down from the embassy. Wear
something simple and dark that people have not seen you wear before, and
carry a black parasol and a guide-book. Have one of those brown veils
that tourists wear against the sun. Fold it up neatly and put it into
the pocket of the guide-book instead of the map, or pin it to the inside
of your parasol. You can put it on as soon as you have turned the corner
of the stairs, out of sight of the embassy door, for the footman will
not go in till you are as far as that. If you cannot put it on yourself,
I will do it for you."
"Do you know how to put on a woman's veil?" Cecilia asked, with a little
laugh.
"Of course! It is easy enough. I have often fastened my sister's for her
at picnics."
"What time shall I come?"
"A little before eleven. Guido cannot be ready before that."
"But he has a servant," said Cecilia, suddenly remembering the detail.
"What will he think?"
"He has two, but they shall both be out, and I shall have the key to his
door in my pocket. We will manage that."
"Shall you be sure to know just when I come?"
"I shall see you, but you will not see me till we meet on the landing."
"I knew you could manage it, if you only would."
"It is simple enough. There is not the slightest risk, if you will do
exactly what I have told you."
It seemed easy indeed, and Cecilia was almost happy at the thought that
she was soon to be freed from the intolerable situation into which she
allowed herself to be forced. She was very grateful, too, and beyond her
gratitude was the unspeakable satisfaction in the man she loved. Instead
of making difficulties, he smoothed them; instead of prating of what
society might think, he would help her to defy it, because he knew that
she was right.
"I should like to thank you," she said simply. "I do not know how."
He seemed to say something in answer, in a rather discontented way, but
so low that she could not catch the words.
"What did you say?" she asked unwisely.
"Nothing. I am glad to be of service to you. Say the right things to
Guido; for you are going to do rather an eccentric thing in order to say
them, and a mistake would be fatal."
He spoke almost roughly, but she was not offended. He had a right to be
rough, since he was ready to do whatever she asked of him; yet not
understanding him, while loving him, her instinct made her wish him
really to know how pleased she was. She put out her hand a little
timidly and touched his, as a much older woman might have done. To her
surprise, he grasped it instantly, and held it so tightly that he hurt
her for a moment. He dropped it then, pushing it from him as his hold
relaxed, almost throwing it off.
"What is the matter?" Cecilia asked, surprised.
But at that moment her mother entered the room from the boudoir.