But Livy Spalding clung to the alliance.  She probably knew her sister’s heart better than did the others; and perhaps also had a clearer insight into Mr Glascock’s character.  She was at any rate clearly of opinion that there should be no running away.  ’Either you do like him, or you don’t.  If you do, what are you to get by going to Rome?’ said Livy.

‘I shall get quit of doubt and trouble.’

’I call that cowardice.  I would never run away from a man, Carry.  Aunt Sophie forgets that they don’t manage these things in England just as we do.’

‘I don’t know why there should be a difference.’

’Nor do I, only that there is.  You haven’t read so many of their novels as I have.’

‘Who would ever think of learning to live out of an English novel?’ said Carry.

’I am not saying that.  You may teach him to live how you like afterwards.  But if you have anything to do with people it must be well to know what their manners are.  I think the richer sort of people in England slide into these things more gradually than we do.  You stand your ground, Carry, and hold your own, and take the goods the gods provide you.’  Though Caroline Spalding opposed her sister’s arguments, and was particularly hard upon that allusion to ’the richer sort of people,’ which, as she knew, Miss Petrie would have regarded as evidence of reverence for sounding brasses and tinkling cymbals, nevertheless she loved Livy dearly for what she said, and kissed the sweet counsellor, and resolved that she would for the present decline the invitation of the poetess.  Then was Miss Petrie somewhat indignant with her friend, and threw out her scorn in those lines which have been mentioned.

But the American Minister hardly knew how to behave himself when he met Mr Glascock, or even when he was called upon to speak of him.  Florence no doubt is a large city, and is now the capital of a great kingdom; but still people meet in Florence much more frequently than they do in Paris or in London.  It may almost be said that they whose habit it is to go into society, and whose circumstances bring them into the same circles, will see each other every day.  Now the American Minister delighted to see and to be seen in all places frequented by persons of a certain rank and position in Florence.  Having considered the matter much, he had convinced himself that he could thus best do his duty as minister from the great Republic of Free States to the newest and as he called it ‘the free-est of the European kingdoms.’  The minister from France was a marquis; he from England was an earl; from Spain had come a count and so on.  In the domestic privacy of his embassy Mr Spalding would be severe enough upon the sounding brasses and the tinkling cymbals, and was quite content himself to be the Honourable Jonas G. Spalding—­Honourable because selected by his country for a post of honour; but he liked to be heard among the cymbals and seen