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would be harder to refuse them； and she entered upon a passage of her
life which a nature less simple would have found much more trying。 But
she had the power of taking everything as if it were as much to be
expected as anything else。 If nothing at all happened she accepted the
situation with implicit resignation； and with a gayety of heart which
availed her long； and never wholly left her。
While the suspense lasted she could not write home as frankly as before；
and she sent off letters to Middlemount which treated of her delay in
Venice with helpless reticence。 They would have set another sort of
household intolerably wondering and suspecting； but she had the comfort
of knowing that her father would probably settle the whole matter by
saying that she would tell what she meant when she got round to it； and
apart from this she had mainly the comfort of the vice…consul's society。
He had little to do besides looking after her； and he employed himself
about this in daily visits which the padrone and his wife regarded as
official； and promoted with a serious respect for the vice…consular
dignity。 If the visits ended； as they often did； in a turn on the Grand
Canal； and an ice in the Piazza； they appealed to the imagination of more
sophisticated witnesses； who decided that the young American girl had
inherited the millions of the sick lady； and become the betrothed of the
vice…consul； and that they were thus passing the days of their engagement
in conformity to the American custom； however much at variance with that
of other civilizations。
This view of the affair was known to Maddalena； but not to Clementina；
who in those days went back in many things to the tradition of her life
at Middlemount。 The vice…consul was of a tradition almost as simple； and
his longer experience set no very wide interval between them。 It quickly
came to his telling her all about his dead wife and his married
daughters； and how； after his home was broken up； he thought he would
travel a little and see what that would do for him。 He confessed that it
had not done much； he was always homesick； and he was ready to go as soon
as the President sent out a consul to take his job off his hands。 He
said that he had not enjoyed himself so much since he came to Venice as
he was doing now； and that he did not know what he should do if
Clementina first got her call home。 He betrayed no curiosity as to the
peculiar circumstances of her stay； but affected to regard it as
something quite normal； and he watched over her in every way with a
fatherly as well as an official vigilance which never degenerated into
the semblance of any other feeling。 Clementina rested in his care in
entire security。 The world had quite fallen from her； or so much of it
as she had seen at Florence； and in her indifference she lapsed into life
as it was in the time before that with a tender renewal of her allegiance
to it。 There was nothing in the conversation of the vice…consul to
distract her from this； and she said and did the things at Venice that
she used to do at Middlemount； as nearly as she could； to make the days
of waiting pass more quickly； she tried to serve herself in ways that
scandalized the proud affection of Maddalena。 It was not fit for the
signorina to make her bed or sweep her room； she might sew and knit if
she would； but these other things were for servants like herself。 She
continued in the faith of Clementina's gentility； and saw her always as
she had seen her first in the brief hour of her social splendor in
Florence。 Clementina tried to make her understand how she lived at
Middlemount； but she only brought before Maddalena the humiliating image
of a contadina； which she rejected not only in Clementina's behalf； but
that of Miss Milray。 She told her that she was laughing at her； and she
was fixed in her belief when the girl laughed at that notion。 Her
poverty she easily conceived of； plenty of signorine in Italy were poor；
and she protected her in it with the duty she did not divide quite evenly
between her and the padrone。
The date which Clementina had fixed for hearing from Hinkle by cable had
long passed； and the time when she first hoped to hear from him by letter
had come and gone。 Her address was with the vice…consul as Mrs。 Lander's
had been； and he could not be ignorant of her disappointment when he
brought her letters which she said were from home。 On the surface of
things it could only be from home that she wished to hear； but beneath
the surface he read an anxiety which mounted with each gratification of
this wish。 He had not seen much of the girl while Hinkle was in Venice；
Mrs。 Lander had not begun to make such constant use of him until Hinkle
had gone； Mrs。 Milray had told him of Clementina's earlier romance； and
it was to Gregory that the vice…consul related the anxiety which he knew
as little in its nature as in its object。
Clementina never doubted the good faith or constancy of her lover； but
her heart misgave her as to his well…being when it sank at each failure
of the vice…consul to bring her a letter from him。 Something must have
happened to him； and it must have been something very serious to keep him
from writing； or there was some mistake of the post…office。 The vice…
consul indulged himself in personal inquiries to make sure that the
mistake was not in the Venetian post…office； but he saw that he brought
her greater distress in ascertaining the fact。 He got to dreading a look
of resolute cheerfulness that came into her face； when he shook his head
in sign that there were no letters； and he suffered from the covert
eagerness with which she glanced at the superscriptions of those he
brought and failed to find the hoped…for letter among them。 Ordeal for
ordeal； he was beginning to regret his trials under Mrs。 Lander。 In them
he could at least demand Clementina's sympathy； but against herself this
was impossible。 Once she noted his mute distress at hers； and broke into
a little laugh that he found very harrowing。
〃I guess you hate it almost as much as I do； Mr。 Bennam。〃
〃I guess I do。 I've half a mind to write the letter you want； myself。〃
〃I've half a mind to let youor the letter I'd like to write。〃
It had come to her thinking she would write again to Hinkle； but she
could not bring herself to do it。 She often imagined doing it； she had
every word of such a letter in her mind； and she dramatized every fact
concerning it from the time she should put pen to paper； to the time when
she should get back the answer that cleared the mystery of his silence
away。 The fond reveries helped her to bear her suspense； they helped to
make the days go by； to ease the doubt with which she lay down at night；
and the heartsick hope with which she rose up in the morning。
One day； at the hour of his wonted visit； she say the vice…consul from
her balcony coming； as it seemed to her； with another figure in his
gondola； and a thousand conjectures whirled through her mind； and then
centred upon one idea。 After the first glance she kept her eyes down；
and would not look again while she told herself incessantly that it could
not be； a