Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/436

 for a pupil, "if you could bring yourself to address a few words of solemn remonstrance to Miss Light you would perhaps do more for us than you know. You would save several persons a great deal of pain. This gracious lady here first and then Christina herself. Christina in particular. Me too, I might take the liberty to add!"

Rowland felt these words, after an instant, press upon his heart as with a repetition of discreet and intense finger-taps. To the personage so urbanely sounding them his imagination had from the first all benevolently attached itself, and they now seemed a supreme manifestation of the mysterious obliquity of his life. On the spot something sharply occurred to him; it was something very odd and it stayed his glance from again turning to Mrs. Light. His idea embarrassed him, and to carry off his embarrassment he repeated that it was folly to suppose his counsel would have any weight with their young friend.

The Cavaliere stepped forward and laid two fingers, as for positive emphasis of the effect Rowland had already figured, on his interlocutor's breast. "Do you wish to know the truth of the case? You 're the only man whose words she ever repeats."

Rowland was moving from one new light to another. "I 'll say then what I can!" By this time he had again caught Mrs. Light's conscious eyes, which appeared to accuse him for an instant of possible defection.

"If you fail," she said sharply, "there's something else we can do. But for God's sake be straight!" 402