Ayala's Angel

had known that she was a dependent niece, and that as such she was in truth nobody. On that morning when she had ordered Augusta to go upstairs the two visitors had stared with

girls would only be named. But Ayala was never forgotten. Once or twice an effort was made by some grand lady, whose taste was perhaps more conspicuous than her good nature, to get Ayala without burdening herself with any of the Tringles. When this became c

sa has made suc

t is all Ayala’s doing because she expects to meet tha

ry intimate friend

elieve a b

o be at his house. I

asked to sing, and that Ayala was to be fêted and admired and danced with, simply because Ayala was Ayala, and that they, the Tringles, in spite of Glenbogie, Merle Park, and Queen’s Gate, were n

ère , but he ate there and drank there and almost lived there; so that it became absolutely necessary to inform the world of Rome that it was Augusta’s destiny to become in course of time the Honourable Mrs Traffick, otherwise the close intimacy would hardly have been discreet — unless it had been thought, as the ill-natured Marchesa had hinted, that Mr Traffick was Lady Tringle’s elder brother. Augusta, however, was by no means ashamed of her lover. Perhaps she felt that when it was known that she was about to be the bride of so great a man then doors would be open for her at any rate as wide as for her cousin. At

r day-dreams this hero was almost celestial — or, at least, athereal. It was a concentration of poetic perfection to which there was not as yet any appanage of apparel, of features, or of wealth. It was a something out of heaven which should think it well to spend his whole time in adoring her and making her more blessed than had ever yet been a woman upon the earth. Then her first approach to a mundane feeling had been her acknowledgment to herself that Isadore Hamel would do as a lover for Lucy. Isadore Hamel was certainly very handsome — was possessed of infinite g

d cover her with muddy water he was abominable. But this Augusta had not understood. With Mr Traffick there would be no dog-like gambols; and, as he was not harsh to her, Ayala liked him. She had liked her uncle. Such men were, to her thinking

e with Mr Traffick last night,”

! How

— laughi

re up at the top of St Peter’s I was quizzing him ab

s had persisted on ascending. Then Augusta had been left for a long hour alone with her mother. Gertrude had no doubt gone up, but Gertrude had lagged during the ascent. Ayala had skipped up the interminable stairs and Mr Traffick had trotted after her with admiring breathless industry. This itself

perceive the diff

eferred her extreme youth to the more mature charms of his own true love — or had, perhaps, preferred Ayala’s raillery to Augusta’s serious demeanour. “You are the most impertinent

fond of Ayala! There would be no trouble. There was a carriage which would be going somewhere else, and she would be fetched and taken home. Ayala at once declared that she intended to go, and her Aunt Emmeline did not

I would rather you would not go to that woman’s party.” Septimus had been asked only on t

my own

eated mamma wel

no right to call her Ay

and mamma ought not to allow her to go. Wh

est families in Rome,” said Mr Tra

as a favour that you do not go. Asking Ayala, and then asking you,

mer. Be that as it might, he would not yield. “Dear Augusta, it is right that I should go there, if it be only for half an hour.” This he said in a tone of voice with which Augusta wa

as Uncle Tringle, yet he could dance. Ayala had been astonished to find how well he could dance, and thought that she might please her cousin Augusta by praising the juvenility

s a little dance,” sai

Italian way of talkin

y! I hate I

I’m sure he’ll tell you so. I had

ought it necessary to say something in defence of her daughter’s c

of something else. I was very glad he did, for he danced three times with me. He can waltz

cer I ever danced w

t never do dan

out it as well as anothe

nce, Mr Traffick was walking with Ayala on the Pincian, while Augusta was absolutely remaining behind with her mother. For a quarter of an hour — the whole day, as it seemed to Augusta — there was a full two hundred yards between them. It was not that the

ay of treating you,

er head, and then walking with her all the n

eep it; but he believed that the best way of making sure of it would be by showing him

te to papa, and let him kno

rics or out of them, she would not allow Ayala to come near her. She gave it to be understood that Ayala had interfered fatally, foully, damnably, with all her happiness. She demanded, from fit to fit, that telegrams should be sent over to bring her father to Italy for her protection. She would rave about Septimus, and then swear that, under no consideration whatever, would she ever

ho was half English, had called Ayala Cinderella, and the name had added fuel to the fire of Augusta’s wrath. There was much said about it between Lady Tringle and her daugh

viper,” sa

s”, said Gertrude, “that Ayala thinks herself very clever and very beautiful, and Augusta will not stand it.” Gertrude acknowledg

, was aware that Augusta Tringle would not speak to her cousin. When Ayala was asked she would shake her locks, and open her eyes, and declare that she knew nothing about it. In truth she knew very little about it. She remembered that passage-at-arms about the going upstairs at Glenbogie, but she could hardly understand that for so small an affront, and one so distant,

er matters she would hold her own, and go, if necessary. Though her young imagination was still full of her unsubstantial hero — though she still had her castles in the air altogether incapable of terrestrial foundation — still there was a common sense about her which told her that she must give and take. She would endeavour to submit herself to her aunt. She would be kind — as she had always bee

Rome when there came up anothe