turned the next day, with plenty of zeal for the part Roderick
had assigned to him. It had been arranged that they should go to Saint
Peter's. Roderick was in high good-humor, and, in the carriage, was
watching his mother with a fine mixture of filial and professional
tenderness. Mrs. Hudson looked up mistrustfully at the tall, shabby
houses, and grasped the side of the barouche in her hand, as if she
were in a sail-boat, in dangerous waters. Rowland sat opposite to Miss
Garland. She was totally oblivious of her companions; from the moment
the carriage left the hotel, she sat gazing, wide-eyed and absorbed, at
the objects about them. If Rowland had felt disposed he might have made
a joke of her intense seriousness. From time to time he told her the
name of a place or a building, and she nodded, without looking at him.
When they emerged into the great square between Bernini's colonnades,
she laid her hand on Mrs. Hudson's arm and sank back in the carriage,
staring up at the vast yellow facade of the church. Inside the
church, Roderick gave his arm to his mother, and Rowland constituted
himself the especial guide of Miss Garland. He walked with her slowly
everywhere, and made the entire circuit, telling her all he knew of
the history of the building. This was a great deal, but she listened
attentively, keeping her eyes fixed on the dome. To Rowland himself
it had never seemed so radiantly sublime as at these moments; he felt
almost as if he had contrived it himself and had a right to be proud of
it. He left Miss Garland a while on the steps of the choir, where she
had seated herself to rest, and went to join their companions. Mrs.
Hudson was watching a great circle of tattered contadini, who were
kneeling before the image of Saint Peter. The fashion of their tatters
fascinated her; she stood gazing at them in a sort of terrified pity,
and could not be induced to look at anything else. Rowland went back to
Miss Garland and sat down beside her.

"Well, what do you think of Europe?" he asked, smiling.

"I think it 's horrible!" she said abruptly.

"Horrible?"

"I feel so strangely--I could almost cry."

"How is it that you feel?"

"So sorry for the poor past, that seems to have died here, in my heart,
in an hour!"

"But, surely, you 're pleased--you 're interested."

"I am overwhelmed. Here in a single hour, everything is changed. It is
as if a wall in my mind had been knocked down at a stroke. Before me
lies an im