CHAPTER XVIII.

A Suspension of Hostilities.

SCENE--_The roof of Milan Cathedral; the innumerable statues and fretted pinnacles show in dazzling relief against the intense blue sky. Through the open-work of the parapet is seen the vast Piazza, with its yellow toy tram cars, and the small crawling figures which cast inordinately long shadows. All around is a maze of pale brown roofs, and beyond, the green plain blending on the horizon with dove-coloured clouds in a quivering violet haze._ CULCHARD _is sitting by a small doorway at the foot of a flight of steps leading to the Spire_.

CULCHARD (_meditating_). I think Maud must have seen from the tone in which I said I preferred to remain below, that I object to that cousin of hers perpetually coming about with us as he does. She's far too indulgent to him--a posing, affected prig, always talking about the wonderful things he's _going_ to write! He had the impudence to tell me I didn't know the most elementary laws of the sonnet this morning! Withering repartee seems to have no effect whatever on him. I wish I had some of Podbury's faculty for flippant chaff! I wonder if he and the Prendergasts really are at Milan. I certainly thought I recognised---- If they are, it's very bad taste of them, after the pointed way in which they left Bellagio. I only hope we shan't----

[_Here the figure of_ MISS PRENDERGAST _suddenly emerges from the door_; CULCHARD _rises and stands aside to let her pass; she returns his salutation distantly, and passes on with her chin in the air; her brother follows, with a side-jerk of recognition._ PODBURY _comes last, and halts undecidedly._

PODB. (_with a rather awkward laugh_). Here we are again, eh? (_Looks after_ MISS P., _hesitates, and finally sits down by_ CULCHARD.) Where's the fascinating Miss Trotter? How do you come to be off duty like this?

CULCH. (_stiffly_). The fascinating Miss Trotter is up above with Van Boodeler, so my services are not required.

PODB. Up above? And Hypatia just gone up with Bob! Whew, there'll be ructions presently! Well out of it, you and I! So it's Boodeler's turn now? That's rough on _you_--after Hypatia had whistled poor old Bob off. As much out in the cold as ever, eh?

CULCH. I am nothing of the kind. I find him distasteful to me, and avoid him as much as I can, that's all. I wish, Podbury, er--I _almost_ wish you could have stayed with me, instead of allowing the Prendergasts to carry you off as they did. You would have kept Van Boodeler in order.

PODB. Much obliged, old chap; but I'm otherwise engaged. Being kept in order myself. Oh, I _like_ it, you know. She's developing my mind like winking. Spent the whole morning at the Brera, mugging up these old Italian Johnnies. They really are clinkers, you know. Raphael, eh?--and Giotto, and Mantegna, and all that lot. As Hypatia says, for intensity of--er--religious feeling, and--and subtlety of symbolism, and--and so on, they simply take the cake--romp in, and the rest nowhere! I'm getting quite the connoisseur, I can tell you!

CULCH. Evidently. I suppose there's no chance of a--a _reconciliation_ up there? [_With some alarm._

PODB. Don't you be afraid. When Hypatia once gets her quills up, they don't subside so easily! Hallo! isn't this old Trotter?

[_That gentleman appears in the doorway._

MR. T. Why, Mr. Podbury, so you've come along here? That's _right_! And how do you like Milan? I like the place first-rate--it's a live city, Sir. And I like this old cathedral, too; it's well constructed--they've laid out money on it. I call it real ornamental, all these little figgers they've stuck around--and not two of 'em a pair either. Now, they might have had 'em all alike, and no one any the wiser up so high as this; but it certainly gives it more variety, too, having them different. Well, I'm going up as high as ever I _can_ go. You two better come along up with me.

ON THE TOP.

MISS P. (_as she perceives_ MISS T. _and her companion_). Now, Bob, pray remember all I've told you! [BOB _turns away, petulantly_.

MISS T. (_aside, to_ VAN B.). I guess the air's got cooler up here, Charley. But if that girl imagines she's going to freeze _me_! (_Advancing to_ MISS P.) Why, my dear, it's almost too sweet for anything, meeting you again!

MISS P. You're extremely kind, Maud; I wish I could return the compliment; but really, after what took place at Bellagio, I----

MISS T. (_taking her arm_). Well, I'll own up to being pretty horrid--and so were you; but there don't seem any sense in our meeting up here like a couple of strange cats on tiles. I won't fly out any more, there! I'm just dying for a reconciliation; and so is Mr. Van Boodeler. The trouble I've had to console that man! He never met anybody before half so interested in the great Amurrcan Novel. And he's wearying for another talk. So you'd better give that hatchet a handsome funeral, and come along and take pity on him.

[HYP., _after a struggle, yields, half-reluctantly, and allows herself to be taken across to_ MR. VAN B., _who greets her effusively_. MISS T. _leaves them together_.

BOB P. (_who has been prudently keeping in the background till now, decides that his chance has come_). How do you do, Miss Trotter? It's awfully jolly to meet you again like this!

MISS T. Well, I guess that remark would have been more convincing if you'd made it a few minutes earlier.

BOB. I--I--you see, I didn't know ... I was afraid--I rather thought----

MISS T. You don't get much further with _rather_ thinking, as a general rule, than if you didn't think at all. But if you're at all anxious to run away the way you did at Bellagio, you needn't be afraid _I'll_ hinder you.

BOB. (_earnestly_). Run away! _Do_ you think I'd have gone if--I've felt dull enough ever since, without _that!_

MISS T. Oh, I expect you've had a beautiful time. _We_ have.

MISS P. (_coming up_). Robert, I thought you wanted to see the Alps? You should come over to the other side, and----

MISS T. I'll undertake that he sees the Alps, my dear, presently--when we're through our talk.

MISS P. As you please, dear. But (_pointedly_) did I not see Mr. Culchard below?

MISS T. You don't mean to say you're wearied of Mr. Van Boodeler _already_! Well, Mr. Culchard will be along soon, and I'll loan him to you. I'll tell him you're vurry anxious to converse with him some more. He's just coming along now, with Mr. Podbury and Poppa.

MISS P. (_under her breath_). Maud! if you _dare_----!

MISS T. Don't you _dare_ me, then--or you'll see. But I don't want to be mean unless I'm obliged to.

[MR. TROTTER, _followed by_ CULCHARD _and_ PODBURY, _arrives at the upper platform_. CULCHARD _and_ PODBURY _efface themselves as much as possible_. MR. TROTTER _greets_ MISS PRENDERGAST _heartily_.

MR. T. Well now, I call this sociable, meeting all together again like this. I don't see why in the land we didn't _keep_ together. I've been saying so to my darter here, ever since Bellagio--ain't that so, Maud? And _she_ didn't know just how it came about either.

MISS P. (_hurriedly_). We--we had to be getting on. And I am afraid we must say good-bye now, Mr. Trotter. I want Bob and Mr. Podbury to see the Da Vinci fresco, you know, before the light goes. (BOB _mutters a highly disrespectful wish concerning that work of Art_.) We _may_ see you again, before we leave for Verona.

MR. T. Verona? Well, I don't care if I see Verona myself. Seems a pity to separate now we _have_ met, _don't_ it? See here, now, we'll _all_ go along to Verona together--how's that, Maud? Start whenever _you_ feel like it, Miss Prendergast. How does that proposal strike you? I'll be real hurt if you cann't take to my idea.

MISS T. The fact is, Poppa, Hypatia isn't just sure that Mr. Prendergast wouldn't object.

BOB P. I--object? Not _much_! Just what I should _like_, seeing Verona with--all _together_, you know!

MISS T. Then I guess _that's_ fixed. (_Aside, to_ MISS P., _who is speechless_.) Come, you haven't the heart to go and disappoint my poor Cousin Charley by saying you won't go! I expect he'll be perfectly enchanted to be under vow--unless you've filled up _all_ the vacancies already! (_Aloud, to_ VAN B., _as he approaches_.) We've persuaded Miss Prendergast to join our party. I hope you feel equal to entertaining her?

VAN B. I shall be proud to be permitted to try. (_To_ MISS P.) Then I may take it that you agree with me that the function of the future American fictionist will be---- [_They move away conversing._

PODB. (_to_ CULCH.). I say, old fellow, we're to be travelling companions again, after all. And a jolly good thing, too, _I_ think!... eh?

CULCH. Oh, h'm--quite so. That is--but no doubt it will be an advantage--(_with a glance at_ VAN B., _who is absorbed in_ MISS P.'S _conversation_)--in--er--_some_ respects. (_To himself_) Hardly from poor dear Podbury's point of view, I'm afraid though! However, if _he_ sees nothing----! [_He shrugs his shoulders, pityingly._