and the Venice I admire was surely the fruit of these stonecutters chanting hymns of faith; it could not but be: and if it deserved, as he says, to die disgraced, I think we should go back to them and ask them whether their minds were as pure and holy as he supposes." Her French wits would not be subdued. Nevil pointed to the palaces. "Pride," said she. He argued that the original Venetians were not responsible for their offspring. "You say it?" she cried, "you, of an old race? Oh, no; you do not feel it!" and the trembling fervour of her voice convinced him that he did not, could not.
Renee said: "I know my ancestors are bound up in me, by my sentiments to them; and so do you, M. Nevil. We shame them if we fail in courage and honour. Is it not so? If we break a single pledged word we cast shame on them. Why, that makes us what we are; that is our distinction: we dare not be weak if we would. And therefore when Venice is reproached with avarice and luxury, I choose to say--what do we hear of the children of misers? and I say I am certain that those old cold Huguenot stonecutters were proud and grasping. I am sure they were, and they shall share the blame."
Nevil plunged into his volume.
He called on Roland for an opinion.
"Friend," said Roland, "opinions may differ: mine is, considering the defences of the windows, that the only way into these houses or out of them bodily was the doorway."
Roland complimented his sister and friend on the prosecution of their studies: he could not understand a word of the subject, and yawning, he begged permission to be allowed to land and join the gondola at a distant quarter. The gallant officer was in haste to go.
Renee stared at her brother. He saw nothing; he said a word to the gondoliers, and quitted the boat. Mars was in pursuit. She resigned herself, and ceased then to be a girl.
CHAPTER VI. LOVE IN VENICE
The air flashed like heaven descending for Nevil alone with Renee. They had never been alone before. Such happiness belonged to the avenue of wishes leading to golden mists beyond imagination, and seemed, coming on him suddenly, miraculous. He leaned toward her like one who has broken a current of speech, and waits to resume it. She was all unsuspecting indolence, with gravely shadowed eyes.
"I throw the book down," he said.
She objected. "No; continue: I like it."
Both of them divined that the book was there to do duty for Roland.
He closed it, keeping a finger among the leaves; a kind of anchorage in case of indiscretion.
"Permit me to tell you, M. Nevil, you are inclined to play truant to-day."
"I am."
"Now is the very time to read; for my poor Roland is at sea when we discuss our questions, and the book has driven him away."
"But we have plenty of time to read. We miss the scenes."
"The scenes are green shutters, wet steps, barcaroli, brown women, striped posts, a scarlet night-cap, a sick fig-tree, an old shawl, faded spots of colour, peeling walls. They might be figured by a trodden melon. They all resemble one another, and so do the days here."
"That"s the charm. I wish I could look on you and think the same. You, as you are, for ever."
"Would you not let me live my life?"
"I would not have you alter."
"Please to be pathetic on that subject after I am wrinkled, monsieur."
"You want commanding, mademoiselle."
Renee nestled her chin, and gazed forward through her eyelashes.
"Venice is like a melancholy face of a former beauty who has ceased to rouge, or wipe away traces of her old arts," she said, straining for common talk, and showing the strain.
"Wait; now we are rounding," said he; "now you have three of what you call your theatre-bridges in sight. The people mount and drop, mount and drop; I see them laugh. They are full of fun and good-temper. Look on living Venice!
"Provided that my papa is not crossing when we go under!
"Would he not trust you to me?"
"Yes."
"He would? And you?"
"I do believe they are improvizing an operetta on the second bridge."
"You trust yourself willingly?"
"As to my second brother. You hear them? How delightfully quick and spontaneous they are! Ah, silly creatures! they have stopped. They might have held it on for us while we were pa.s.sing."
"Where would the naturalness have been then?"
"Perhaps, M. Nevil, I do want commanding. I am wilful. Half my days will be spent in fits of remorse, I begin to think."
"Come to me to be forgiven."
"Shall I? I should be forgiven too readily."
"I am not so sure of that."
"Can you be harsh? No, not even with enemies. Least of all with... with us."
Oh for the black gondola!--the little gliding dusky chamber for two; instead of this open, flaunting, gold and crimson cotton-work, which exacted discretion on his part and that of the mannerly gondoliers, and exposed him to window, balcony, bridge, and borderway.
They slipped on beneath a red balcony where a girl leaned on her folded arms, and eyed them coming and going by with Egyptian gravity.
"How strange a power of looking these people have," said Renee, whose vivacity was fascinated to a steady sparkle by the girl. "Tell me, is she glancing round at us?"
Nevil turned and reported that she was not. She had exhausted them while they were in transit; she had no minor curiosity.
"Let us fancy she is looking for her lover," he said.
Renee added: "Let us hope she will not escape being seen."
"I give her my benediction," said Nevil.
"And I," said Renee; "and adieu to her, if you please. Look for Roland."
"You remind me; I have but a few instants."
"M. Nevil, you are a preux of the times of my brother"s patronymic. And there is my Roland awaiting us. Is he not handsome?"