“WhatisyourfriendLeonard？“askedMissWinchelseaabruptly。
“He’sthemostenthusiasticpedestrianIevermet，“theyoungmanreplied，amusingly，butalittleunsatisfactorily，MissWinchelseathought。Theyhadsomeglorioustimes，andFannycouldnotthinkwhattheywouldhavedonewithouthim。MissWinchelsea’sinterestandFanny’senormouscapacityforadmirationwereinsatiable。Theyneverflagged——throughpicturesandsculpturegalleries，immensecrowdedchurches，ruinsandmuseums，Judastreesandpricklypears，winecartsandpalaces，theyadmiredtheirwayunflinchingly。Theyneversawastonepineoraeucalyptusbuttheynamedandadmiredit；
theyneverglimpsedSoractebuttheyexclaimed。Theircommonwaysweremadewonderfulbyimaginativeplay。“HereCaesarmayhavewalked，“theywouldsay。“RaphaelmayhaveseenSoractefromthisverypoint。“TheyhappenedonthetombofBibulus。“OldBibulus，“
saidtheyoungman。“TheoldestmonumentofRepublicanRome！“
saidMissWinchelsea。
“I’mdreadfullystupid，“saidFanny，“butwhoWASBibulus？“
Therewasacuriouslittlepause。
“Wasn’thethepersonwhobuiltthewall？“saidHelen。
Theyoungmanglancedquicklyatherandlaughed。“ThatwasBalbus，“
hesaid。Helenreddened，butneitherhenorMissWinchelseathrewanylightuponFanny’signoranceaboutBibulus。
Helenwasmoretaciturnthantheotherthree，butthenshewasalwaystaciturn，andusuallyshetookcareofthetramticketsandthingslikethat，orkepthereyeonthemiftheyoungmantookthem，andtoldhimwheretheywerewhenhewantedthem。Glorioustimestheyhad，theseyoungpeople，inthatpalebrowncleanlycityofmemoriesthatwasoncetheworld。Theironlysorrowwastheshortnessofthetime。Theysaidindeedthattheelectrictramsandthe’70
buildings，andthatcriminaladvertisementthatglaresupontheForum，outragedtheiraestheticfeelingsunspeakably；butthatwasonlypartofthefun。AndindeedRomeissuchawonderfulplacethatitmadeMissWinchelseaforgetsomeofhermostcarefullypreparedenthusiasmsattimes，andHelen，takenunawares，wouldsuddenlyadmitthebeautyofunexpectedthings。YetFannyandHelenwouldhavelikedashopwindoworsointheEnglishquarterifMissWinchelsea’suncompromisinghostilitytoallotherEnglishvisitorshadnotrenderedthatdistrictimpossible。
TheintellectualandaestheticfellowshipofMissWinchelseaandthescholarlyyoungmanpassedinsensiblytowardsadeeperfeeling。
TheexuberantFannydidherbesttokeeppacewiththeirreconditeadmirationbyplayingher“beautiful，“withvigour，andsaying“Oh！
LET’Sgo，“withenormousappetitewheneveranewplaceofinterestwasmentioned。ButHelendevelopedacertainwantofsympathytowardstheend，thatdisappointedMissWinchelseaalittle。Sherefusedto“seeanything“inthefaceofBeatriceCenci——Shelley’sBeatriceCenci！——intheBarberinigallery；andoneday，whentheyweredeploringtheelectrictrams，shesaidrathersnappishlythat“peoplemustgetaboutsomehow，andit’sbetterthantorturinghorsesupthesehorridlittlehills。“ShespokeoftheSevenHillsofRomeas“horridlittlehills！“
AndthedaytheywentonthePalatine——thoughMissWinchelseadidnotknowofthis——sheremarkedsuddenlytoFanny，“Don’thurrylikethat，mydear；THEYdon’twantustoovertakethem。Andwedon’tsaytherightthingsforthemwhenweDOgetnear。“
“Iwasn’ttryingtoovertakethem，“saidFanny，slackeningherexcessivepace；“Iwasn’tindeed。“Andforaminuteshewasshortofbreath。
ButMissWinchelseahadcomeuponhappiness。Itwasonlywhenshecametolookbackacrossaninterveningtragedythatshequiterealisedhowhappyshehadbeen，pacingamongthecypress-shadowedruins，andexchangingtheveryhighestclassofinformationthehumanmindcanpossess，themostrefinedimpressionsitispossibletoconvey。Insensiblyemotioncreptintotheirintercourse，sunningitselfopenlyandpleasantlyatlastwhenHelen’smodernitywasnottoonear。Insensiblytheirinterestdriftedfromthewonderfulassociationsaboutthemtotheirmoreintimateandpersonalfeelings。
Inatentativewayinformationwassupplied；shespokeallusivelyofherschool，ofherexaminationsuccesses，ofhergladnessthatthedaysof“Cram“wereover。Hemadeitquiteclearthathealsowasateacher。Theyspokeofthegreatnessoftheircalling，ofthenecessityofsympathytofaceitsirksomedetails，ofacertainlonelinesstheysometimesfelt。
ThatwasintheColosseum，anditwasasfarastheygotthatday，becauseHelenreturnedwithFanny——shehadtakenherintotheuppergalleries。YettheprivatedreamsofMissWinchelsea，alreadyvividandconcreteenough，becamenowrealisticinthehighestdegree。
Shefiguredthatpleasantyoungman，lecturinginthemostedifyingwaytohisstudents，herselfmodestlyprominentashisintellectualmateandhelper；shefiguredarefinedlittlehome，withtwobureaus，withwhiteshelvesofhigh-classbooks，andautotypesofthepicturesofRossettiandBurne-Jones，withMorris’swallpapersandflowersinpotsofbeatencopper。Indeedshefiguredmanythings。OnthePinciothetwohadafewpreciousmomentstogether，whileHelenmarchedFannyofftoseethemuroTorto，andhespokeatonceplainly。Hesaidhehopedtheirfriendshipwasonlybeginning，thathealreadyfoundhercompanyveryprecioustohim，thatindeeditwasmorethanthat。
Hebecamenervous，thrustingathisglasseswithtremblingfingersasthoughhefanciedhisemotionsmadethemunstable。“Ishouldofcourse，“hesaid，“tellyouthingsaboutmyself。Iknowitisratherunusualmyspeakingtoyoulikethis。Onlyourmeetinghasbeensoaccidental——orprovidential——andIamsnatchingatthings。
IcametoRomeexpectingalonelytour……andIhavebeensoveryhappy，soveryhappy。QuiterecentlyIfoundmyselfinaposition——
Ihavedaredtothink。And——“
Heglancedoverhisshoulderandstopped。Hesaid“Damn！“quitedistinctly——andshedidnotcondemnhimforthatmanlylapseintoprofanity。ShelookedandsawhisfriendLeonardadvancing。Hedrewnearer；heraisedhishattoMissWinchelsea，andhissmilewasalmostagrin。“I’vebeenlookingforyoueverywhere，Snooks，“hesaid。“YoupromisedtobeonthePiazzastepshalfanhourago。“
Snooks！ThenamestruckMissWinchelsealikeablowintheface。
Shedidnothearhisreply。ShethoughtafterwardsthatLeonardmusthaveconsideredherthevaguest-mindedperson。TothisdaysheisnotsurewhethershewasintroducedtoLeonardornot，norwhatshesaidtohim。Asortofmentalparalysiswasuponher。
Ofalloffensivesurnames——Snooks！
HelenandFannywerereturning，therewerecivilities，andtheyoungmenwerereceding。Byagreateffortshecontrolledherselftofacetheenquiringeyesofherfriends。Allthatafternoonshelivedthelifeofaheroineundertheindescribableoutrageofthatname，chatting，observing，with“Snooks“gnawingatherheart。Fromthemomentthatitfirstranguponherears，thedreamofherhappinesswasprostrateinthedust。Alltherefinementshehadfiguredwasruinedanddefacedbythatcognomen’sunavoidablevulgarity。
Whatwasthatrefinedlittlehometohernow，spiteofautotypes，Morrispapers，andbureaus？Athwartitinlettersoffirerananincredibleinscription:“Mrs。Snooks。“Thatmayseemalittlethingtothereader，butconsiderthedelicaterefinementofMissWinchelsea’smind。Beasrefinedasyoucanandthenthinkofwritingyourselfdown:——“Snooks。“SheconceivedherselfbeingaddressedasMrs。Snooksbyallthepeopleshelikedleast，conceivedthepatronymictouchedwithavaguequalityofinsult。Shefiguredacardofgreyandsilverbearing“Winchelsea，“triumphantlyeffacedbyanarrow，Cupid’sarrow，infavourof“Snooks。“Degradingconfessionoffeminineweakness！Sheimaginedtheterriblerejoicingsofcertaingirlfriends，ofcertaingrocercousinsfromwhomhergrowingrefinementhadlongsinceestrangedher。Howtheywouldmakeitsprawlacrosstheenvelopethatwouldbringtheirsarcasticcongratulations。Wouldevenhispleasantcompanycompensateherforthat？“Itisimpossible，“
shemuttered；“impossible！SNOOKS！“
Shewassorryforhim，butnotsosorryasshewasforherself。
Forhimshehadatouchofindignation。Tobesonice，sorefined，whileallthetimehewas“Snooks，“tohideunderapretentiousgentilityofdemeanourthebadgesinisterofhissurnameseemedasortoftreachery。Toputitinthelanguageofsentimentalscienceshefelthehad“ledheron。“
Therewereofcoursemomentsofterriblevacillation，aperiodevenwhensomethingalmostlikepassionbidherthrowrefinementtothewinds。Andtherewassomethinginher，anunexpurgatedvestigeofvulgarity，thatmadeastrenuousattemptatprovingthatSnookswasnotsoverybadanameafterall。AnyhoveringhesitationflewbeforeFanny’smanner，whenFannycamewithanairofcatastrophetotellthatshealsoknewthehorror。Fanny’svoicefelltoawhisperwhenshesaidSNOOKS。MissWinchelseawouldnotgivehimanyanswerwhenatlast，intheBorghese，shecouldhaveaminutewithhim；
butshepromisedhimanote。
Shehandedhimthatnoteinthelittlebookofpoetryhehadlenther，thelittlebookthathadfirstdrawnthemtogether。Herrefusalwasambiguous，allusive。Shecouldnomoretellhimwhysherejectedhimthanshecouldhavetoldacrippleofhishump。Hetoomustfeelsomethingoftheunspeakablequalityofhisname。Indeedhehadavoidedadozenchancesoftellingit，shenowperceived。Soshespokeof“obstaclesshecouldnotreveal“——“reasonswhythethinghespokeofwasimpossible。“Sheaddressedthenotewithashiver，“E。K。
Snooks。“
Thingswereworsethanshehaddreaded；heaskedhertoexplain。
HowCOULDsheexplain？ThoselasttwodaysinRomeweredreadful。
Shewashauntedbyhisairofastonishedperplexity。Sheknewshehadgivenhimintimatehopes，shehadnotthecouragetoexaminehermindthoroughlyfortheextentofherencouragement。Sheknewhemustthinkherthemostchangeableofbeings。Nowthatshewasinfullretreat，shewouldnotevenperceivehishintsofapossiblecorrespondence。Butinthatmatterhedidathingthatseemedtoheratoncedelicateandromantic。Hemadeago-betweenofFanny。
