TO
BONNIE BELL GUERNSEY
AND
JESSIE ELIZABETH GUERNSEY
WITH A VERY GREAT DEAL OF MY LOVE
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I | Apprehensions | [1] |
| II | The End of One Journey and the Start of Another | [8] |
| III | Lunch and Some Modern History | [17] |
| IV | Florence and the New Home | [27] |
| V | New Friends, a New Day and New Plans | [38] |
| VI | Miss Parrish and Miss Harris-Clarke | [46] |
| VII | Getting Acquainted | [56] |
| VIII | Signor Paggi’s Compliments | [68] |
| IX | A Strolling Picnic | [77] |
| X | Cream Puffs, the Twilight and— | [94] |
| XI | Enter—Sam Deane! | [103] |
| XII | Dark Clouds | [117] |
| XIII | A Patch of Blue Sky | [129] |
| XIV | Stories, Music and Tea | [139] |
| XV | Florentine Winter | [149] |
| XVI | Plans for a Party | [159] |
| XVII | Cupid and a Lady Santa Claus | [167] |
| XVIII | The Effect of a Secret | [182] |
| XIX | Changes | [197] |
| XX | A Country Wedding and the Coming of Spring | [208] |
| XXI | Fiesole, a Clear Hot Day, and a Cool Garden | [220] |
| XXII | A Walk on a Sunday Afternoon | [238] |
| XXIII | Mischievous Cupid | [253] |
| XXIV | Homeward Bound | [261] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| FACING PAGE | |
| “Didn’t exaggerate, did I?” he went on (page 227) | [Frontispiece] |
| “Isn’t this simply ghastly?” | [60] |
| “My name is Sam Deane,” he announced | [110] |
| Mr. Hemmingway got so gay that he kissed Miss Meek | [180] |
A MODERN TRIO IN AN OLD TOWN
CHAPTER ONE
APPREHENSIONS
As I look back through my experience of eighteen years, I realize that many of my apprehensions have been foolish, because so many of the things that I dreaded turned out all right. Almost every one of the parties I thought would be stiff—and I am not very happy at the sort!—proved to be the kind where every one grew lively. I remember one that Elaine McDonald had, particularly, because I had said to mother, “I don’t want to go. They’ll all wear gloves and it will be miserable!” But I did go, and they had a Paul Jones that was so rough that they broke a chair and knocked over a table, and it was fine! While, on the other hand, there have been parties that I thought would be nice and informal, and we just went and sat in one place and talked, and at that sort I smile until my face feels as if it were covered with shellac, because I don’t feel like smiling at all. And this all shows—or it should, because I am trying to make it—that I never should take my apprehensions seriously. But—I seem to have to, and I always do, and so I felt as if I had real reason for misery, when Mrs. Hamilton, who had looked after me as I crossed the Atlantic upon the Steamship Carpatia, called me back into the stateroom and said, “By the way, child, I am not going to Florence, after all—”
Well, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, which is what I often do while waiting.
“But,” she went on, as she fussed with the little jars that contribute quite a lot toward her beauty, “I shall hunt up some one who is, and see that you are looked after.”