Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/525

 "That was an excellent answer," Christina ob served. "Yet it was a little your business, after those sublime protestations I treated you to. I was really very fine that morning, eh?"

"You do yourself injustice," said Rowland. "I should be at liberty now to believe you were insincere."

"What does it matter now whether I was insincere or not? I can't conceive of anything mattering less. I was very fine—is n't it true?"

"You know what I think of you," he replied. And for fear of being forced to betray his suspicion of the influence brought to bear upon her crisis he took refuge in a commonplace. "I hope your mother 's well."

"My mother 's in the enjoyment of superb health, and may be seen every evening in the Casino at the Baths of Lucca confiding to every new-comer that she has married her daughter—tremendously."

Rowland was anxious for news of Mrs. Light's companion, and the natural course was frankly to inquire about him. "And the dear Cavaliere 's well?"

Christina hesitated, but she betrayed no other embarrassment. "The dear Cavaliere has retired to his native city of Ancona, upon a pension, for the rest of his natural life. Poverino!"

"I've a great regard for him," said Rowland gravely, at the same time that he privately wondered if Poverino's pension were paid by Prince Casamassima for services rendered in connexion with his marriage. "And what do you do," he continued, "on leaving this place?" 491