CHAPTER NINETEEN.
THE OLD MAN'S HOPE.
Messer Bernardo del Nero was as inexorable as Romola had expected in hisadvice that the marriage should be deferred till Easter, and in thismatter Bardo was entirely under the ascendancy of his sagacious andpractical friend. Nevertheless, Bernardo himself, though he was as faras ever from any susceptibility to the personal fascination in Titowhich was felt by others, could not altogether resist that argument ofsuccess which is always powerful with men of the world. Tito was makinghis way rapidly in high quarters. He was especially growing in favourwith the young Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, who had even spoken ofTito's forming part of his learned retinue on an approaching journey toRome; and the bright young Greek who had a tongue that was always readywithout ever being quarrelsome, was more and more wished for at gaysuppers in the Via Larga, and at Florentine games in which he had nopretension to excel, and could admire the incomparable skill of Pierode' Medici in the most graceful manner in the world. By an unfailingsequence, Tito's reputation as an agreeable companion in "magnificent"society made his learning and talent appear more lustrous: and he wasreally accomplished enough to prevent an exaggerated estimate from beinghazardous to him. Messer Bernardo had old prejudices and attachmentswhich now began to argue down the newer and feebler prejudice againstthe young Greek stranger who was rather too supple. To the oldFlorentine it was impossible to despise the recommendation of standingwell with the best Florentine families, and since Tito began to bethoroughly received into that circle whose views were the unquestionedstandard of social value, it seemed irrational not to admit that therewas no longer any check to satisfaction in the prospect of such ason-in-law for Bardo, and such a husband for Romola. It was undeniablethat Tito's coming had been the dawn of a new life for both father anddaughter, and the first promise had even been surpassed. The blind oldscholar--whose proud truthfulness would never enter into that commerceof feigned and preposterous admiration which, varied by a correspondingmeasurelessness in vituperation, made the woof of all learnedintercourse--had fallen into neglect even among his fellow-citizens, andwhen he was alluded to at all, it had long been usual to say that,though his blindness and the loss of his son were pitiable misfortunes,he was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labours; and thathis discontent was a little inconsistent in a man who had been openlyregardless of religious rites, and who in days past had refused offersmade to him from various quarters, on the slight condition that he wouldtake orders, without which it was not easy for patrons to provide forevery scholar. But since Tito's coming, there was no longer the samemonotony in the thought that Bardo's name suggested; the old man, it wasunderstood, had left off his plaints, and the fair daughter was nolonger to be shut up in dowerless pride, waiting for a _parentado_. Thewinning manners and growing favour of the handsome Greek who wasexpected to enter into the double relation of son and husband helped tomake the new interest a thoroughly friendly one, and it was no longer arare occurrence when a visitor enlivened the quiet library. Elderly mencame from that indefinite prompting to renew former intercourse whicharises when an old acquaintance begins to be newly talked about; andyoung men whom Tito had asked leave to bring once, found it easy to goagain when they overtook him on his way to the Via de' Bardi, and,resting their hands on his shoulder, fell into easy chat with him. Forit was pleasant to look at Romola's beauty; to see her, like oldFirenzuola's type of womanly majesty, "sitting with a certain grandeur,speaking with gravity, smiling with modesty, and casting around, as itwere, an odour of queenliness;" [Note 1] and she seemed to unfold like astrong white lily under this genial breath of admiration and homage; itwas all one to her with her new bright life in Tito's love.
Tito had even been the means of strengthening the hope in Bardo's mindthat he might before his death receive the longed-for securityconcerning his library: that it should not be merged in anothercollection; that it should not be transferred to a body of monks, and becalled by the name of a monastery; but that it should remain for everthe Bardi Library, for the use of Florentines. For the old habit oftrusting in the Medici could not die out while their influence was stillthe strongest lever in the State; and Tito, once possessing the ear ofthe Cardinal Giovanni de' Medici, might do more even than MesserBernardo towards winning the desired interest, for he could demonstrateto a learned audience the peculiar value of Bardi's collection. Titohimself talked sanguinely of such a result, willing to cheer the oldman, and conscious that Romola repaid those gentle words to her fatherwith a sort of adoration that no direct tribute to herself could havewon from her.
This question of the library was the subject of more than one discussionwith Bernardo del Nero when Christmas was turned and the prospect of themarriage was becoming near--but always out of Bardo's hearing. ForBardo nursed a vague belief, which they dared not disturb, that hisproperty, apart from the library, was adequate to meet all demands. Hewould not even, except under a momentary pressure of angry despondency,admit to himself that the will by which he had disinherited Dino wouldleave Romola the heir of nothing but debts; or that he needed anythingfrom patronage beyond the security that a separate locality should beassigned to his library, in return for a deed of gift by which he madeit over to the Florentine Republic.
"My opinion is," said Bernardo to Romola, in a consultation they hadunder the loggia, "that since you are to be married, and Messer Titowill have a competent income, we should begin to wind up the affairs,and ascertain exactly the sum that would be necessary to save thelibrary from being touched, instead of letting the debts accumulate anylonger. Your father needs nothing but his shred of mutton and hismacaroni every day, and I think Messer Tito may engage to supply thatfor the years that remain; he can let it be in place of the_morgen-cap_."
"Tito has always known that my life is bound up with my father's," saidRomola; "and he is better to my father than I am: he delights in makinghim happy."
"Ah, he's not made of the same clay as other men, is he?" said Bernardo,smiling. "Thy father has thought of shutting woman's folly out of theeby cramming thee with Greek and Latin; but thou hast been as ready tobelieve in the first pair of bright eyes and the first soft words thathave come within reach of thee, as if thou couldst say nothing by heartbut Paternosters, like other Christian men's daughters."
"Now, godfather," said Romola, shaking her head playfully, "as if itwere only bright eyes and soft words that made me love Tito! You knowbetter. You know I love my father and you because you are both good,and I love Tito too because he is so good. I see it, I feel it, ineverything he says and does. And if he is handsome, too, why should Inot love him the better for that? It seems to me beauty is part of thefinished language by which goodness speaks. You know _you_ must havebeen a very handsome youth, godfather,"--she looked up with one of herhappy, loving smiles at the stately old man--"you were about as tall asTito, and you had very fine eyes; only you looked a little sterner andprouder, and--"
"And Romola likes to have all the pride to herself?" said Bernardo, notinaccessible to this pretty coaxing. "However, it is well that in oneway Tito's demands are more modest than those of any Florentine husbandof fitting rank that we should have been likely to find for you; hewants no dowry."
So it was settled in that way between Messer Bernardo del Nero, Romola,and Tito. Bardo assented with a wave of the hand when Bernardo told himthat he thought it would be well now to begin to sell property and clearoff debts; being accustomed to think of debts and property as a sort ofthick wood that his imagination never even penetrated, still less gotbeyond. And Tito set about winning Messer Bernardo's respect byinquiring, with his ready faculty, into Florentine money-matters, thesecrets of the _Monti_ or public funds, the values of real property, andthe profits of banking.
"You will soon forget that Tito is not a Florentine, godfather," saidRomola. "See how he is learning everything about Florence."
"It seems to me he is one of the _demoni_, who are of no particularcountry, child," said Bernardo
, smiling. "His mind is a little toonimble to be weighted with all the stuff we men carry about in ourhearts."
Romola smiled too, in happy confidence.
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Note 1. "Quando una donna e grande, ben formata, porta ben sua persona,siede con una certa grandezza, parla con gravita, ride con modestia, efinalmente getta quasi un odor di Regina; allora noi diciamo quelladonna pare una maesta, ella ha una maesta."--Firenzuola: _Della Bellezzadelle Donne_.