THE BATHS OF LUCCA
June was now far advanced, and the Rowleys and the
Spaldings had removed from Florence to the Baths of
Lucca. Mr Glascock had followed in their wake,
and the whole party were living at the Baths in one
of those hotels in which so many English and Americans
are wont to congregate in the early weeks of the Italian
summer. The marriage was to take place in the
last week of the month; and all the party were to
return to Florence for the occasion with the exception
of Sir Marmaduke and Mrs Trevelyan. She was altogether
unfitted for wedding joys, and her father had promised
to bear her company when the others left her.
Mr Glascock and Caroline Spalding were to be married
in Florence, and were to depart immediately from thence
for some of the cooler parts of Switzerland.
After that Sir Marmaduke and Lady Rowley were to return
to London with their daughters, preparatory to that
dreary journey back to the Mandarins; and they had
not even yet resolved what they had better do respecting
that unfortunate man who was living in seclusion on
the hilltop near Siena. They had consulted lawyers
and doctors in Florence, but it had seemed that everybody
there was afraid of putting the law in force against
an Englishman. Doubtless there was a law in respect
to the custody of the insane; and it was admitted
that if Trevelyan were dangerously mad something could
be done; but it seemed that nobody was willing to
stir in such a case as that which now existed.
Something, it was said, might be done at some future
time; but the difficulties were so great that nothing
could be done now.
It was very sad, because it was necessary that some
decision should be made as to the future residence
of Mrs Trevelyan and of Nora. Emily had declared
that nothing should induce her to go to the Islands
with her father and mother unless her boy went with
her. Since her journey to Casalunga she had also
expressed her unwillingness to leave her husband.
Her heart had been greatly softened towards him, and
she had declared that where he remained, there would
she remain as near to him as circumstances would admit.
It might be that at last her care would be necessary
for his comfort. He supplied her with means of
living, and she would use these means as well as she
might be able in his service.
Then there had arisen the question of Nora’s
future residence. And there had come troubles
and storms in the family. Nora had said that
she would not go back to the Mandarins, but had not
at first been able to say where or how she would live.
She had suggested that she might stay with her sister,
but her father had insisted that she could not live
on the income supplied by Trevelyan. Then, when
pressed hard, she had declared that she intended to
live on Hugh Stanbury’s income. She would
marry him at once with her father’s leave, if
she could get it, but without it if it needs must
