The Blue Castle | Gradually Hardening Italian A1-B2 Translation Books

The Blue Castle | Gradually Hardening Italian A1-B2 Translation Books

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CHAPTERI
Ifit
avesse
had
notrainedonacertain
Maggio
May
morningValancyStirling’swhole
vita
life
wouldhavebeenentirelydifferent.
She
sarebbe
would
havegone,withthe
resto
rest
ofherclan,to
Zia
Aunt
Wellington’sengagementpicnicandDr.Trent
sarebbe
would
havegonetoMontreal.
Ma
But
itdidrainandyoushall
sentirai
hear
whathappenedtoherbecauseofit.
Valancywakened
presto
early
,inthelifeless,hopelesshourjustprecedingdawn.
She
aveva
had
notsleptverywell.
Onedoesnot
dorme
sleep
well,sometimes,whenoneistwenty-nineonthemorrow,
e
and
unmarried,inacommunity
e
and
connectionwheretheunmarriedare
semplicemente
simply
thosewhohavefailedtogeta
uomo
man
.
DeerwoodandtheStirlings
avevano
had
longsincerelegatedValancyto
senza speranza
hopeless
oldmaidenhood.
ButValancyherself
aveva
had
neverquiterelinquishedacertainpitiful,shamed,little
speranza
hope
thatRomancewouldcomeherwayyet—never,until
questa
this
wet,horriblemorning,whenshewakenedtothe
fatto
fact
thatshewastwenty-nine
e
and
unsoughtbyanyman.
Ay,therelay
il
the
sting.
Valancydidnotmindsomuchbeing
una
an
oldmaid.
Afterall,she
pensò
thought
,beinganoldmaidcouldn’tpossiblybeas
terribile
dreadful
asbeingmarriedto
una
an
UncleWellingtonoran
Zio
Uncle
Benjamin,orevenan
Zio
Uncle
Herbert.
Whathurtherwas
che
that
shehadneverhadachancetobeanythingbutanoldmaid.
Nessun
No
manhadeverdesiredher.
Le
The
tearscameintohereyesasshelaytherealonein
le
the
faintlygreyingdarkness.
She
osava
dared
notletherselfcryashardasshewanted
per
to
,fortworeasons.
Shewasafraid
che
that
cryingmightbringonanother
attacco
attack
ofthatpainaround
il
the
heart.
Shehadhad
un
a
spellofitaftershehadgotintobed—rather
peggio
worse
thananyshehadhadyet.
E
And
shewasafraidher
madre
mother
wouldnoticeherredeyesat
colazione
breakfast
andkeepather
di
with
minute,persistent,mosquito-likequestionsregardingthe
causa
cause
thereof.
“Suppose,”thoughtValancywith
un
a
ghastlygrin,“Iansweredwith
la
the
plaintruth,‘Iamcrying
perché
because
Icannotgetmarried.’
Come
How
horrifiedMotherwouldbe—thoughsheis
vergogna
ashamed
everydayofher
vita
life
ofheroldmaiddaughter.”
Ma
But
ofcourseappearancesshouldbekeptup.
“Itisnot,”Valancycould
sentire
hear
hermother’sprim,dictatorial
voce
voice
asserting,“itisnotmaidenlyto
pensare
think
aboutmen.”
Thethoughtofhermother’sexpression
faceva
made
Valancylaugh—forshehad
un
a
senseofhumournobodyinher
clan
clan
suspected.
Forthatmatter,therewereagood
molte
many
thingsaboutValancythat
nessuno
nobody
suspected.
Butherlaughterwasvery
superficiale
superficial
andpresentlyshelaythere,ahuddled,
inutile
futile
littlefigure,listeningto
la
the
rainpouringdownoutside
e
and
watching,withasickdistaste,
la
the
chill,mercilesslightcreepingintoherugly,sordidroom.
Sheknewtheuglinessofthatroombyheart—knewit
e
and
hatedit.
Theyellow-painted
pavimento
floor
,withonehideous,“hooked”
tappeto
rug
bythebed,witha
grottesco
grotesque
,“hooked”dogonit,
sempre
always
grinningatherwhenshe
svegliava
awoke
;
thefaded,dark-redpaper;
il
the
ceilingdiscolouredbyoldleaks
e
and
crossedbycracks;
the
stretto
narrow
,pinchedlittlewashstand;
thebrown-paperlambrequin
di
with
purplerosesonit;
thespotted
vecchio
old
looking-glasswiththecrack
attraverso
across
it,proppeduponthe
inadeguato
inadequate
dressing-table;
thejarof
antico
ancient
potpourrimadebyher
madre
mother
inhermythicalhoneymoon;
la
the
shell-coveredbox,withone
scoppiato
burst
corner,whichCousinStickles
aveva
had
madeinherequallymythicalgirlhood;
thebeadedpincushion
di
with
halfitsbeadfringegone;
theonestiff,yellow
sedia
chair
;
thefadedoldmotto,“Gone
ma
but
notforgotten,”workedincolouredyarnsaboutGreat-grand-motherStirling’s
cupo
grim
oldface;
theoldphotographsofancientrelativeslongbanishedfrom
le
the
roomsbelow.
Therewere
solo
only
twopicturesthatwerenotofrelatives.
One,an
vecchio
old
chromoofapuppy
seduto
sitting
onarainydoorstep.
That
foto
picture
alwaysmadeValancyunhappy.
Thatforlornlittledogcrouchedonthe
porta
doorstep
inthedrivingrain!
Whydidn’tsomeone
aperto
open
thedoorandlethimin?
Theother
quadro
picture
wasafaded,passe-partoutedengravingof
Regina
Queen
Louisecomingdownastairway,
che
which
AuntWellingtonhadlavishlygivenheronher
decimo
tenth
birthday.
Fornineteenyearsshehadlookedatit
e
and
hatedit,beautiful,smug,self-satisfied
Regina
Queen
Louise.
Butshenever
osato
dared
destroyitorremoveit.
Madre
Mother
andCousinStickleswouldhavebeenaghast,
o
or
,asValancyirreverentlyexpresseditinherthoughts,wouldhavehad
un
a
fit.
Everyroominthe
casa
house
wasugly,ofcourse.
Ma
But
downstairsappearanceswerekeptupsomewhat.
Therewas
non
no
moneyforroomsnobodyever
visto
saw
.
Valancysometimesfeltthatshecould
avrebbe
have
donesomethingforherroomherself,even
senza
without
money,ifshewere
permesso
permitted
.
Buthermotherhadnegatived
ogni
every
timidsuggestionandValancydidnot
persisteva
persist
.
Valancyneverpersisted.
Shewasafraid
di
to
.
Hermothercouldnotbrookopposition.
Mrs.Stirlingwouldsulkfordays
se
if
offended,withtheairsof
una
an
insultedduchess.
Theonly
cosa
thing
Valancylikedaboutherroomwas
che
that
shecouldbealonethereat
notte
night
tocryifshewantedto.
Ma
But
,afterall,whatdiditmatter
se
if
aroom,whichyouusedfornothingexcept
dormire
sleeping
anddressingin,wereugly?
Valancywasnever
permesso
permitted
tostayaloneinherroomfor
qualsiasi
any
otherpurpose.
Peoplewhowantedtobealone,soMrs.FrederickStirling
e
and
CousinSticklesbelieved,couldonlywanttobealoneforsome
sinistro
sinister
purpose.
Butherroomin
la
the
BlueCastlewaseverything
una
a
roomshouldbe.
Valancy,socowed
e
and
subduedandoverriddenandsnubbedin
reale
real
life,waswonttoletherself
andare
go
rathersplendidlyinherday-dreams.
Nessuno
Nobody
intheStirlingclan,
o
or
itsramifications,suspectedthis,
meno
least
ofallhermother
e
and
CousinStickles.
Theynever
sapevano
knew
thatValancyhadtwohomes—theuglyred
di mattoni
brick
boxofahome,onElmStreet,
e
and
theBlueCastleinSpain.
Valancy
aveva
had
livedspirituallyinthe
Blu
Blue
Castleeversinceshecould
ricordare
remember
.
Shehadbeenaverytinychild
quando
when
shefoundherselfpossessedof
esso
it
.
Always,whensheshuthereyes,shecould
vedeva
see
itplainly,withitsturrets
e
and
bannersonthepine-clad
montagna
mountain
height,wrappedinits
debole
faint
,blueloveliness,againstthe
tramonto
sunset
skiesofafair
e
and
unknownland.
Everythingwonderful
e
and
beautifulwasinthat
castello
castle
.
Jewelsthatqueensmight
avrebbero
have
worn;
robesofmoonlight
e
and
fire;
couchesofroses
e
and
gold;
longflightsofshallow
marmo
marble
steps,withgreat,whiteurns,
e
and
withslender,mist-cladmaidensgoingup
e
and
downthem;
courts,marble-pillared,
dove
where
shimmeringfountainsfellandnightingalessang
tra
among
themyrtles;
hallsofmirrors
che
that
reflectedonlyhandsomeknights
e
and
lovelywomen—herselftheloveliestof
tutte
all
,forwhoseglancemen
morivano
died
.
Allthatsupportedher
attraverso
through
theboredomofherdayswas
la
the
hopeofgoingon
un
a
dreamspreeatnight.
Maggior parte
Most
,ifnotall,of
la
the
Stirlingswouldhavediedof
orrore
horror
iftheyhadknown
metà
half
thethingsValancydidinher
Blu
Blue
Castle.
Foronethingshe
aveva
had
quiteafewloversin
esso
it
.
Oh,onlyoneata
volta
time
.
Onewhowooedherwith
tutto
all
theromanticardouroftheageofchivalry
e
and
wonherafterlong
devozione
devotion
andmanydeedsofderring-do,
e
and
wasweddedtoherwithpomp
e
and
circumstanceinthegreat,banner-hung
cappella
chapel
oftheBlueCastle.
Attwelve,
questo
this
loverwasafair
ragazzo
lad
withgoldencurlsand
celesti
heavenly
blueeyes.
Atfifteen,hewas
alto
tall
anddarkandpale,
ma
but
stillnecessarilyhandsome.
Attwenty,hewasascetic,
sognante
dreamy
,spiritual.
Attwenty-five,he
aveva
had
aclean-cutjaw,slightly
cupo
grim
,andafacestrong
e
and
ruggedratherthanhandsome.
Valancynevergrewolderthantwenty-fiveinher
Blu
Blue
Castle,butrecently—veryrecently—her
eroe
hero
hadhadreddish,tawny
capelli
hair
,atwistedsmileand
un
a
mysteriouspast.
Idon’t
dico
say
Valancydeliberatelymurderedtheseloversassheoutgrew
li
them
.
Onesimplyfadedawayasanothercame.
Thingsareveryconvenientin
questo
this
respectinBlueCastles.
Ma
But
,onthismorningofher
giorno
day
offate,Valancycouldnot
trovare
find
thekeyofher
Blu
Blue
Castle.
Realitypressedonhertoohardly,
abbaiando
barking
atherheelslike
un
a
maddeninglittledog.
Shewastwenty-nine,lonely,undesired,ill-favoured—theonlyhomely
ragazza
girl
inahandsomeclan,withno
passato
past
andnofuture.
Asfarasshecould
guardare
look
back,lifewasdrab
e
and
colourless,withnotonesingle
cremisi
crimson
orpurplespotanywhere.
Asfarasshecould
guardare
look
forwarditseemedcertaintobejustthe
stesso
same
untilshewasnothingbut
un
a
solitary,littlewitheredleafclingingto
un
a
wintrybough.
Themomentwhen
una
a
womanrealisesthatshehas
nulla
nothing
tolivefor—neitherlove,
dovere
duty
,purposenorhope—holdsforher
il
the
bitternessofdeath.
“AndIjusthavetogoon
vivere
living
becauseIcan’tstop.
Imayhaveto
vivere
live
eightyyears,”thoughtValancy,in
una
a
kindofpanic.
“We’re
tutti
all
horriblylong-lived.
Itsickensmetothinkofit.”
Shewasgladitwasraining—orrather,shewasdrearilysatisfied
che
that
itwasraining.
Therewouldbeno
picnic
picnic
thatday.
Thisannual
picnic
picnic
,wherebyAuntandUncleWellington—one
sempre
always
thoughtoftheminthatsuccession—inevitably
celebravano
celebrated
theirengagementata
picnic
picnic
thirtyyearsbefore,hadbeen,oflateyears,
un
a
veritablenightmaretoValancy.
By
una
an
impishcoincidenceitwasthe
stesso
same
dayasherbirthday
e
and
,aftershehadpassedtwenty-five,
nessuno
nobody
letherforgetit.
Quanto
Much
asshehatedgoingto
le
the
picnic,itwouldneverhaveoccurredtohertorebelagainstit.
Ci
There
seemedtobenothingofthe
rivoluzionario
revolutionary
inhernature.
Andshe
sapeva
knew
exactlywhateveryonewould
detto
say
toheratthe
picnic
picnic
.
UncleWellington,whomshedisliked
e
and
despisedeventhoughhe
aveva
had
fulfilledthehighestStirlingaspiration,“marryingmoney,”would
diceva
say
toherinapig’s
sussurro
whisper
,“Notthinkingofgettingmarried
ancora
yet
,mydear?”
andthen
andare
go
offintothebellowof
risata
laughter
withwhichheinvariably
concluso
concluded
hisdullremarks.
AuntWellington,ofwhomValancystoodinabjectawe,wouldtellheraboutOlive’s
nuovo
new
chiffondressandCecil’slastdevoted
lettera
letter
.
Valancywouldhavetolookaspleased
e
and
interestedasifthe
vestito
dress
andletterhadbeenhers
o
or
elseAuntWellingtonwouldbeoffended.
E
And
Valancyhadlongago
deciso
decided
thatshewouldrather
offendere
offend
GodthanAuntWellington,
perché
because
Godmightforgiveher
ma
but
AuntWellingtonneverwould.
Zia
Aunt
Alberta,enormouslyfat,withanamiable
abitudine
habit
ofalwaysreferringtoher
marito
husband
as“he,”asifhewere
la
the
onlymalecreaturein
la
the
world,whocouldnever
dimenticare
forget
thatshehadbeena
grande
great
beautyinheryouth,wouldcondolewithValancyonhersallow
pelle
skin—
.
“Idon’tknowwhy
tutte
all
thegirlsoftodayaresosunburned.
Quando
When
Iwasagirlmy
pelle
skin
wasrosesandcream.
Iwascounted
la
the
prettiestgirlinCanada,mydear.”
Forse
Perhaps
UncleHerbertwouldn’tsayanything—or
forse
perhaps
hewouldremarkjocularly,“Howfatyou’regetting,Doss!”
E
And
theneverybodywouldlaughovertheexcessivelyhumorousideaof
povero
poor
,scrawnylittleDossgettingfat.
Handsome,
solenne
solemn
UncleJames,whomValancydisliked
ma
but
respectedbecausehewasreputedtobevery
intelligente
clever
andwasthereforethe
clan
clan
oracle—brainsbeingnonetooplentifulintheStirlingconnection—would
probabilmente
probably
remarkwiththeowl-like
sarcasmo
sarcasm
thathadwonhimhis
reputazione
reputation
,“Isupposeyou’rebusywithyourhope-chestthesedays?”
E
And
UncleBenjaminwouldask
alcuni
some
ofhisabominableconundrums,
tra
between
wheezychuckles,andanswerthemhimself.
“Whatis
la
the
differencebetweenDossand
un
a
mouse?
“Themousewishesto
danneggiare
harm
thecheeseandDoss
desidera
wishes
tocharmthehe’s.”
Valancyhad
sentito
heard
himaskthatriddlefiftytimes
e
and
everytimeshewantedtothrow
qualcosa
something
athim.
Butshenever
fatto
did
.
Inthefirstplace,theStirlings
semplicemente
simply
didnotthrowthings;
inthesecond
luogo
place
,UncleBenjaminwasa
ricco
wealthy
andchildlessoldwidower
e
and
Valancyhadbeenbroughtupinthe
paura
fear
andadmonitionofhis
denaro
money
.
Ifsheoffendedhimhe
fosse
would
cutheroutofhiswill—supposingshewereinit.
Valancydidnotwanttobe
tagliato
cut
outofUncleBenjamin’swill.
Shehadbeenpoorallher
vita
life
andknewthegalling
amarezza
bitterness
ofit.
Soshe
sopportato
endured
hisriddlesandevensmiled
torturato
tortured
littlesmilesoverthem.
Zia
Aunt
Isabel,downrightanddisagreeableasaneast
vento
wind
,wouldcriticiseherin
qualche
some
way—Valancycouldnotpredictjusthow,for
Zia
Aunt
Isabelneverrepeatedacriticism—she
trovava
found
somethingnewwithwhichtojabyou
ogni
every
time.
AuntIsabelpridedherselfonsayingwhatshethought,
ma
but
didn’tlikeitsowell
quando
when
otherpeoplesaidwhattheythoughttoher.
Valancynever
detto
said
whatshethought.
CousinGeorgiana—namedafterhergreat-great-grand-mother,who
aveva
had
beennamedafterGeorgetheFourth—wouldrecountdolorouslythenamesof
tutti
all
relativesandfriendswho
aveva
had
diedsincethelast
picnic
picnic
andwonder“whichofus
sarà
will
bethefirstto
andare
go
next.”
Oppressivelycompetent,AuntMildredwould
parlava
talk
endlesslyofherhusband
e
and
herodiousprodigiesofbabiestoValancy,
perché
because
Valancywouldbetheonlyoneshecould
trovare
find
toputupwithit.
Forthe
stesso
same
reason,CousinGladys—reallyFirstCousinGladys
volta
once
removed,accordingtothe
rigoroso
strict
wayinwhichtheStirlingstabulatedrelationship—atall,thin
signora
lady
whoadmittedshehad
una
a
sensitivedisposition,woulddescribeminutelythetorturesofherneuritis.
E
And
Olive,thewondergirlofthewholeStirling
clan
clan
,whohadeverythingValancyhadnot—beauty,
popolarità
popularity
,love,—wouldshowoffher
bellezza
beauty
andpresumeonher
popolarità
popularity
andflauntherdiamondinsigniaof
amore
love
inValancy’sdazzled,enviouseyes.
Ci
There
wouldbenoneof
tutto
all
thistoday.
Andtherewouldbe
non
no
packingupofteaspoons.
Le
The
packingupwasalways
lasciate
left
forValancyandCousinStickles.
E
And
once,sixyearsago,asilverteaspoonfrom
Zia
Aunt
Wellington’sweddingsethadbeen
perduto
lost
.
Valancyneverheardthelastofthatsilverteaspoon.
Its
fantasma
ghost
appearedBanquo-likeateverysubsequent
famiglia
family
feast.
Oh,yes,Valancy
sapeva
knew
exactlywhatthepicnicwouldbe
come
like
andsheblessedthe
pioggia
rain
thathadsavedherfromit.
Ci
There
wouldbenopicnicthisyear.
Se
If
AuntWellingtoncouldnot
festeggiare
celebrate
onthesacreddayitselfshewould
avrebbe
have
nocelebrationatall.
Thankwhatevergodstherewerefor
che
that
.
Sincetherewouldbeno
picnic
picnic
,Valancymadeuphermind
che
that
,iftherainheldupin
la
the
afternoon,shewouldgoupto
la
the
libraryandgetanotherofJohnFoster’sbooks.
Valancywasnever
permesso
allowed
toreadnovels,butJohnFoster’sbookswerenotnovels.
Theywere“naturebooks”—so
il
the
librariantoldMrs.FrederickStirling—“allabout
il
the
woodsandbirdsandbugs
e
and
thingslikethat,youknow.”
SoValancywas
permesso
allowed
toreadthem—underprotest,foritwasonlytoo
evidente
evident
thatsheenjoyedthemtoomuch.
Itwaspermissible,evenlaudable,to
leggere
read
toimproveyourmind
e
and
yourreligion,buta
libro
book
thatwasenjoyablewas
pericoloso
dangerous
.
Valancydidnotknow
se
whether
hermindwasbeing
migliorando
improved
ornot;
butshe
sentiva
felt
vaguelythatifshehadcomeacrossJohnFoster’sbooksyears
fa
ago
lifemighthavebeen
una
a
differentthingforher.
They
sembravano
seemed
tohertoyieldglimpsesofa
mondo
world
intowhichshemight
volta
once
haveentered,thoughthe
porta
door
wasforeverbarredtoher
ora
now
.
Itwasonlywithinthelastyear
che
that
JohnFoster’sbookshadbeenintheDeerwood
biblioteca
library
,thoughthelibrariantoldValancy
che
that
hehadbeenawell-known
scrittore
writer
forseveralyears.
“Wheredoeshelive?”
Valancyhad
chiesto
asked
.
“Nobodyknows.
Fromhisbookshe
deve
must
beaCanadian,but
non
no
moreinformationcanbe
avere
had
.
Hispublisherswon’tsay
una
a
word.
QuitelikelyJohnFosteris
un
a
nomdeplume.
Hisbooksaresopopularwecan’tkeeptheminatall,
anche se
though
Ireallycan’tseewhatpeople
trovi
find
inthemtoraveover.”
“Ithinkthey’rewonderful,”
disse
said
Valancy,timidly.
“Oh—well—”
MissClarkson
sorrise
smiled
inapatronisingfashion
che
that
relegatedValancy’sopinionstolimbo,“Ican’t
dire
say
Icaremuchforbugsmyself.
Ma
But
certainlyFosterseemsto
sapere
know
allthereisto
sapere
know
aboutthem.”
Valancydidn’t
sapeva
know
whethershecaredmuchforbugseither.
ItwasnotJohnFoster’suncanny
conoscenza
knowledge
ofwildcreaturesandinsect
vita
life
thatenthralledher.
Shecouldhardly
dire
say
whatitwas—sometantalisinglureof
un
a
mysteryneverrevealed—somehintof
un
a
greatsecretjustalittlefurtheron—some
debole
faint
,elusiveechooflovely,
dimenticate
forgotten
things—JohnFoster’smagicwasindefinable.
Yes,shewouldget
un
a
newFosterbook.
Itwas
un
a
monthsinceshehadThistleHarvest,so
sicuramente
surely
Mothercouldnotobject.
Valancyhadreadit
quattro
four
times—sheknewwholepassagesoffbyheart.
And—she
quasi
almost
thoughtshewouldgo
e
and
seeDr.Trentaboutthatqueer
dolore
pain
aroundtheheart.
Ithad
venuto
come
ratheroftenlately,and
le
the
palpitationswerebecomingannoying,notto
parlare
speak
ofanoccasionaldizzy
momento
moment
andaqueershortnessof
respiro
breath
.
Butcouldshegotoseehim
senza
without
tellinganyone?
Itwas
un
a
mostdaringthought.
NoneoftheStirlingseverconsulted
un
a
doctorwithoutholdinga
famiglia
family
councilandgettingUncleJames’approval.
Then,they
andarono
went
toDr.AmbroseMarshofPortLawrence,
che
who
hadmarriedSecondCousinAdelaideStirling.
Ma
But
ValancydislikedDr.AmbroseMarsh.
E
And
,besides,shecouldnot
arrivare
get
toPortLawrence,fifteenmilesaway,
senza
without
beingtakenthere.
Shedidnotwantanyoneto
sapesse
know
aboutherheart.
Therewouldbe
tale
such
afussmadeand
ogni
every
memberofthefamilywould
veniva
come
downandtalkitover
e
and
adviseherandcautionher
e
and
warnherandtellherhorribletalesofgreat-aunts
e
and
cousinsfortytimesremovedwhohadbeen“justlikethat”
e
and
“droppeddeadwithoutamoment’s
avvertimento
warning
,mydear.”
AuntIsabelwould
ricorderebbe
remember
thatshehadalways
detto
said
Dosslookedlikea
ragazza
girl
whowouldhavehearttrouble—“so
pizzicato
pinched
andpeakedalways”;
and
Zio
Uncle
Wellingtonwouldtakeitasa
personale
personal
insult,when“noStirlingeverhadheart
malattia
disease
before”;
andGeorgianawouldforebodein
perfettamente
perfectly
audibleasidesthat“poor,
caro
dear
littleDossisn’tlongfor
questo
this
world,I’mafraid”;
andCousinGladyswould
diceva
say
,“Why,myhearthasbeenlike
che
that
foryears,”ina
tono
tone
thatimpliednooneelsehadanybusinessevento
avere
have
aheart;
andOlive—Olive
volesse
would
merelylookbeautifuland
superiore
superior
anddisgustinglyhealthy,as
se
if
tosay,“Whyall
questo
this
fussoverafadedsuperfluitylikeDoss
quando
when
youhaveme?”
Valancy
sentiva
felt
thatshecouldn’ttell
nessuno
anybody
unlessshehadto.
She
sentiva
felt
quitesuretherewas
nulla
nothing
atallseriouslywrongwithher
cuore
heart
andnoneedof
tutto
all
thepotherthatwouldensue
se
if
shementionedit.
She
sarebbe
would
justslipupquietly
e
and
seeDr.Trentthatvery
giorno
day
.
Asforhisbill,she
aveva
had
thetwohundreddollars
che
that
herfatherhadputinthe
banca
bank
forherthedayshewasborn.
Shewasnever
permesso
allowed
touseeventhe
interessi
interest
ofthis,butshewould
segretamente
secretly
takeoutenoughto
pagare
pay
Dr.Trent.
Dr.
Trentwas
un
a
gruff,outspoken,absent-mindedoldfellow,
ma
but
hewasarecognisedauthorityonheartdisease,even
se
if
hewereonlyageneralpractitionerinout-of-the-worldDeerwood.
Dr.Trentwas
oltre
over
seventyandtherehadbeenrumours
che
that
hemeanttoretire
presto
soon
.
NoneoftheStirling
clan
clan
hadevergonetohimsincehe
aveva
had
toldCousinGladys,tenyears
prima
before
,thatherneuritiswasallimaginary
e
and
thatsheenjoyedit.
Youcouldn’tpatronisea
dottore
doctor
whoinsultedyourfirst-cousin-once-removedlikethat—nottomentionthathewasaPresbyterian
quando
when
alltheStirlingswentto
il
the
Anglicanchurch.
CHAPTERII
Quando
When
CousinSticklesknockedather
porta
door
,Valancyknewitwashalf-past
sette
seven
andshemustgetup.
Aslongasshecould
ricordare
remember
,CousinStickleshadknockedather
porta
door
athalf-pastseven.
CousinStickles
e
and
Mrs.FrederickStirlinghadbeenupsince
sette
seven
,butValancywasallowedtolieabedhalfanhourlongerbecauseofa
famiglia
family
traditionthatshewasdelicate.
Valancygotup,
anche se
though
shehatedgettingup
più
more
thismorningthanevershehad
prima
before
.