There had been a promise given by Nora, when she left London, that she would not correspond with Hugh Stanbury while she was in Italy, and this promise had been kept.  It may be remembered that Hugh had made a proposition to his lady-love, that she should walk out of the house one fine morning, and get herself married without any reference to her father’s or her mother’s wishes.  But she had not been willing to take upon herself as yet independence so complete as this would have required.  She had assured her lover that she did mean to marry him some day, even though it should be in opposition to her father, but that she thought that the period for filial persuasion was not yet over; and then, in explaining all this to her mother, she had given a promise neither to write nor to receive letters during the short period of her sojourn in Italy.  She would be an obedient child for so long but, after that, she must claim the right to fight her own battle.  She had told her lover that he must not write; and, of course, she had not written a word herself.  But now, when her mother threw it in her teeth that Stanbury would not be ready to marry her, she thought that an unfair advantage was being taken of her and of him.  How could he be expected to say that he was ready, deprived as he was of the power of saying anything at all?

‘Mamma,’ she said, the day before they went to Florence, ’has papa fixed about your leaving England yet?  I suppose you’ll go now on the last Saturday in July?’

‘I suppose we shall, my dear.’

‘Has not papa written about the berths?’

‘I believe he has, my dear.’

’Because he ought to know who are going.  I will not go.

‘You will not, Nora.  Is that a proper way of speaking?’

’Dear mamma, I mean it to be proper.  I hope it is proper.  But is it not best that we should understand each other.  All my life depends on my going or my staying now.  I must decide.’

’After what has passed, you do not, I suppose, mean to live in Mr Glascock’s house?’

’Certainly not.  I mean to live with with with my husband.  Mamma, I promised not to write, and I have not written.  And he has not written because I told him not.  Therefore, nothing is settled.  But it is not fair to throw it in my teeth that nothing is settled.’

‘I have thrown nothing in your teeth, Nora.’

’Papa talks sneeringly about chairs and tables.  Of course, I know what he is thinking of.  As I cannot go with him to the Mandarins, I think I ought to be allowed to look after the chairs and tables.’

‘What do you mean, my dear?’

’That you should absolve me from my promise, and let me write to Mr Stanbury.  I do not want to be left without a home.’

‘You cannot wish to write to a gentleman and ask him to marry you!’

’Why not?  We are engaged.  I shall not ask him to marry me; that is already settled; but I shall ask him to make arrangements.’