at's why they're sending her home!"

"There are no better or dearer people in the world, kind, true, just;
but"--Gerald held in, and showed how much he hated to make any sort of
reservation--"in this they have been to blame. They bring growing girls
to Italy, where, such is their confidence in I don't know what quality
supposed to be inherent and to produce immunity from love of Italian
men, they never dream that there might happen to them an Italian
son-in-law."

He gave her a moment to realize how rash this was; then hurried, as if
wishing to get through as quickly as possible with the disagreeable, if
not disgraceful, task of criticizing his friends and of gossiping:

"During the progress of the affair Mrs. Foss lets all go on as the
little affairs and flirtations of her own youth were allowed to go on at
home. She likes her daughters to be admired. It is only proper they
should make conquests, have beaus. Leslie has had flirtations with
Italians as well as with others, and come out of them without impairing
that sense of humor which permits her to see as funny that one should
succumb to the attractions of one of those only half-understood men, who
may either be playing a comedy of love while in truth pursuing a
fortune, or, if in earnest, are rather alarming, with the hint of
jealous ferocity in their eyes. With Mrs. Foss's knowledge, Brenda,
during a whole summer at the seaside, receives Giglioli's letters,
written at first, or partly, in English, which he is learning with her
help. With this excuse of English, it is a correspondence and courtship
_dans toutes les regles_. Brenda is not asked by an American mother
to show her letters or his. Giglioli, with his traditions, could not
have imagined such a thing if the parents were unwilling to receive him
as a suitor. Brenda herself--one will never know about Brenda, how it
began, what she thought or hoped. She is very young; no doubt she did
hope. Children seldom know much about their parents' means. She very
likely thought hers could make her the present of a dowry, as they had
made her other presents. But when she discovered their attitude toward
the whole matter, with dignity and delicacy she let all be as they
desired, incapable of pressing them to tax their resources to give her a
thing their prejudice is so strongly set against. They did what they
thought best, and have hung in doubt ever since as to whether it was
best; for though Brenda gives her confidence