[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Ianthe wondered if he had patients to see to, though it seemed unlikely.'Has your aunt known him long?' she asked Sophia.'Oh, years — they were — perhaps still are.' she hesitated, thinking that Ianthe would not need her to go further.'Great friends, I suppose,' said Ianthe uncertainly.'The most, as Penny would say.' Sophia smiled and drained her glass.'And they have never thought of getting married?' Ianthe asked.'Who knows what their thoughts may have been,' said Sophia.'Come along—I think we're going to eat now and I believe Anna has done us a fritto misto.'***The next day Sophia took Ianthe for a walk.There was a villa she wanted her to see which had wonderful gardens and had once been the setting for an illicit love affair between well-known persons, now long dead.As they strolled among the cypresses Ianthe found herself remembering Sophia's aunt and the Dottore — surely Sophia could not really have meant that anything like that was going on between them.Yet why, otherwise, should the aunt have dyed her hair? In her confusion it was a relief to think of John, so far away in the library, perhaps even at this moment compiling a bibliography or assisting a reader with a sociological query.'Of course this magical setting is almost too obvious,' Sophia was saying.'One can imagine the lovers strolling here only too well, but it amuses me to think of totally unsuitable and incongruous people here — parties of English schoolgirls or priests from a seminary, or even Basil Branche and his two elderly ladies.Of course in the season people like that do come here, but this morning we seem to have it to ourselves.Perhaps the flowers are really at their best now — all the roses and these apricot pansies.''Yes, they are most unusual,' said Ianthe a little stiffly.'Shall we sit down here?' asked Sophia, 'I always love this marble lion licking its cub — don't you find it charming and touching, somehow?'Ianthe was unequal to the marble lion and its cub, but she was glad to sit down and look down at the sea.'The "panorama" is almost too much at times, isn't it,' said Sophia in a slightly mocking tone.'Yes, it's overwhelming,' Ianthe admitted.'In England we're starved of this kind of scenery — at least in our everyday lives — and I suppose not many Italians see this view, when you come to think of it.''No — or they don't notice it,' Sophia agreed.'Life everywhere is lived on a lower more humdrum plane.It's only when one comes to Italy that one imagines — oh such things!' She flung out her arms in an exaggerated gesture as if she would gather the sea and the lemon groves to her bosom.Then she laughed.'I did hope that you and Penelope might find romance in Rome — perhaps in a sense you have.''It's such a beautiful city — one couldn't help finding it romantic,' said Ianthe evasively.'Now you know that wasn't what I meant,' said Sophia, 'though I was surprised that you didn't want to stay longer in Rome, for quite another reason.''Well, of course one could spend months in Rome and still find plenty to do and see.''I expect Basil is missing you,' said Sophia.'Basil, missing me?' said Ianthe in surprise.'I don't think he'll miss me in particular, though I think he enjoyed meeting our party.''But you do like him, don't you?' Sophia persisted.'How funny you should ask that,' said Ianthe, 'because Penelope asked me almost the same question.''Oh?' Penny never told me, Sophia thought.'You must think we're a couple of matchmakers, like.' she paused, thinking she might bring in some respectable literary allusion to make the whole thing somehow 'better'.But Ianthe did not give her time for this because she said quickly, 'You surely couldn't imagine that I should want to marry Basil Branche?''No?' said Sophia doubtfully.'But then how can another person ever tell — you might have been in love with him or wanted to marry him.''Well, as it happens you've guessed the wrong person,' said Ianthe.Sophia realized that she had been snubbed, but remembering her duty to her sister she was determined to persevere.'Then there could be a right person?' she went on.'I mean, there is someone you love?'They were leaning on a stone balustrade, looking out towards the sea.Why shouldn't she tell Sophia, Ianthe thought, the beauty of the view and its unreality overwhelming her.'Yes, there is someone,' she said.'Somebody at the library.''But how suitable — that librarian, I suppose, the one who came to the Christmas Bazaar?' Sophia sounded almost jubilant with relief that it was not Rupert Stonebird Ianthe loved.'Mervyn Cantrell? Oh no — not him!''That's a blessing, in a way,' said Sophia.'I didn't think it could be him.Librarians aren't really very lovable sort of people, are they.''Oh, I don't know — I suppose some of them are, must be, when one comes to think about it,' said Ianthe, feeling that Sophia's generalization was difficult to comment on.'And this — er person is a sort of librarian.' Ianthe's lips curved into a smile.'A sort of librarian,' repeated Sophia dubiously, for that sounded somewhat disturbing, almost sinister.'Yes, he was at the Bazaar too — it's John Challow.'Ianthe experienced the relief and pleasure of having spoken his name which is familiar to women in love.'Oh, the other one — the good-looking dark young man? But surely.' Sophia broke off.'Surely what?''He isn't the sort of person one would marry?''I don't know.' stammered Ianthe, 'I haven't.it hasn't.I mean, got to that stage yet, and I don't suppose it ever will.''Oh, I see,' said Sophia.'You just love him.' Of course, she thought, Ianthe might well love somebody in a sort of general Christian way.She remembered some lines from a hymnFor the love of human kindBrother, sister, parent, child.There was no mention of unrelated handsome young men there, indeed it had always seemed hard to Sophia that one's love was to be limited in this way.Yet for Ianthe it seemed ideal.'I rather feel that you're one of those women who shouldn't marry,' Sophia said.'I don't suppose I shall now,' said Ianthe.'But of course one never knows — people do marry quite late in life.''I always think that's such a mistake,' said Sophia.'You seem to me to be somehow destined not to marry,' she went on, perhaps too enthusiastically.'I think you'll grow into one of those splendid spinsters — oh, don't think I mean it nastily or cattily — who are pillars of the Church and whom the Church certainly couldn't do without.'Ianthe was silent, as well she might be before this daunting description.Yet until lately she too had seen herself like this.'What about your sister,' she said at last, 'will she marry?''Oh, Penny will marry,' said Sophia confidently, 'she's made for it.In fact,' she added, with a laugh, 'I've arranged that she shall marry Rupert Stonebird.'Ianthe looked surprised.'But she may not want to — or he may not.I don't think one can — or should — arrange people's lives for them like that.''No, you're right — one shouldn't.Do you know, I often ask myself, did I do wrong to deprive Faustina of the opportunity of motherhood? You knew that she'd had the operation?''The operation?' repeated Ianthe stupidly
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]