She would bluster and be rude; he
would be pleasant and take it as a joke. Both of them--even
if they offered money--would fail. But I begin to understand
the man's nature; he does not love the child, but he will be
touchy about it--and that is quite as bad for us. He's
charming, but he's no fool; he conquered me last year; he
conquered Mr. Herriton yesterday, and if I am not careful he
will conquer us all today, and the baby will grow up in
Monteriano. He is terribly strong; Lilia found that out,
but only I remember it now."
This attempt, and this justification of it, were the
results of the long and restless night. Miss Abbott had
come to believe that she alone could do battle with Gino,
because she alone understood him; and she had put this, as
nicely as she could, in a note which she had left for
Philip. It distressed her to write such a note, partly
because her education inclined her to reverence the male,
partly because she had got to like Philip a good deal after
their last strange interview. His pettiness would be
dispersed, and as for his "unconventionality," which was so
much gossiped about at Sawston, she began to see that it did
not differ greatly from certain familiar notions of her
own. If only he would forgive her for what she was doing
now, there might perhaps be before them a long and
profitable friendship. But she must succeed. No one would
forgive her if she did not succeed. She prepared to do
battle with the powers of evil.
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