I wonder why my children are
all idiots! I am not so stupid after all. I suppose it must have been
your poor father."
The white lids closed thoughtfully over her magnificent eyes, and
opened again after a moment, as if she had called up a vision of her
departed husband and had sent it away again.
"I suppose it was silly of me to go at all," Sabina admitted, leaning
back in her chair. "But I wanted so much to see the statues!"
She felt at home. Her mother had brought her up badly and foolishly,
and of late had neglected her shamefully. Sabina knew that and neither
loved her nor respected her, and it was not because she was her mother
that the girl felt suddenly at ease in her presence, as she never
could feel with the Baroness. She did not wish to be at all like her
mother in character, or even in manner, and yet she felt that they
belonged to the same kind, spoke the same language, and had an
instinctive understanding of each other, though these things implied
neither mutual respect nor affection.
"That horrible old Volterra!" said the Princess, with emphasis. "He
means to keep everything he has found, for himself, if he can. I have
come only just in time."
Sabina did not answer. She knew nothing of the law, and though she
fancied that she might have some morally just claim to a share in the
treasure, she had never believed that it could be proved.
Pages:
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318