CHAPTER X.

When momma reported to me Mrs. Portheris’s proposition that we should make the rest of our Continental trip as one undivided party, I found it difficult to understand.

“These sudden changes of temperature,” I remarked, “are trying to the constitution.  Why this desire for the society of three unabashed Americanisms like ourselves?”

“That’s just what I wondered,” said momma.  “For you can see that she is full of insular prejudice against our great country.  She makes no attempt to disguise it.”

“She never did,” I assented.

“She said it seemed so extraordinary—­quite providential—­meeting relatives abroad in this way,” momma continued, “and she thought we ought to follow it up.”

“Are we going to?” I inquired.

“My goodness gracious no, love!  There are some things my nerves cannot stand the strain of, and one of them is your poppa’s Aunt Caroline.  The Senator smoothed it over.  He said he was sure we were very much obliged, but our time was limited, and he thought we could get around faster alone.”

“Well,” I said, “I do not understand it, unless Dicky has persuaded her that poppa is to be our next ambassador to St. James’s.”

“She was too silly about Dicky,” said momma.  “She said she really was afraid, before you appeared, that young Mr. Dod was conceiving an attachment for her Isabel, whose affections lay quite in another direction; but now her mind was entirely at rest.  I don’t remember her words, she uses so many, but she was trying to hint that poor Dicky was an admirer of yours, dearest.”

“I fancy she succeeded—­as far as that goes,” I remarked.

“Well, yes, she made me understand her.  So I felt obliged to tell her that, though Dicky was a lovely fellow and we were all very fond of him, anything of that kind was out of the question.”

“And what,” I asked, “was her reply to that?”

“She seemed to think I was prevaricating.  She said she knew what a mother’s hopes and fears were.  They seem to take a very low view,” added momma austerely, “of friendship between a young man and a young woman in England!”

“I should think so!” said I absent-mindedly.  “Dicky hasn’t made love to me for three years.”

“What!”

“Nothing, momma, dear,” I replied kindly.  “Only I wouldn’t contradict Mrs. Portheris again upon that point, if I were you.  She will think it so improper if Dicky isn’t my admirer, don’t you see?”

But Mrs. Portheris’s desire to join our party stood revealed.  Her constant chaperonage of Dicky was getting a little trying, and she wanted me to relieve her.  I felt so deeply for them both, reflecting upon the situation, that I experienced quite a glow of virtue at the thought of my promise to Dicky to stay in Rome till his party arrived.  They were going to Siena—­why, Mr. Dod could not undertake to explain—­he had never heard of anything cheerful in connection with Siena.