The Smile of the Stranger Read Online Free
Author: Joan Aiken
and tell him that I shall require him to carry a note to the Envoy ’ s residence—and, if Mr. Wyndham is not there, to seek him out.”
“Very well, Papa,” she said obediently.
“And, when you have done that, help me pack our possessions. I will attend to my papers—do you concern yourself with our clothes, and other belongings. Fortunately we have not much! We must, in any case, have left within a few months,” he murmured to himself, and, to Juliana ’ s inquiring glance, added rather hastily, “It is said that the French are certain to invade Tuscany.”
With trembling hands he began inserting books into a canvas bag, breaking off to admonish Juliana, “If anybody knocks at the door—do not answer!”
“Oh, dearest Papa—truly I am not sure that you are well enough—”
“Hush!” he said, turning on her so terrible a look that without further question she set about doing his bidding.
II
Two days later the father and daughter were aboard a small packet boat in the Gulf of Genoa. Tuscany being neutral, shipping still plied to and fro between Leghorn and the French Mediterranean ports. By some mysterious means Mr. Wyndham, the British Envoy at the Court of Tuscany, a good friend of Mr. Elphinstone, had procured Swiss papers for the pair, and they traveled as Herr Doktor Eck and his daughter Johanna. Switzerland at that time was still on terms of uneasy friendship with France; therefore as Swiss citizens they might hope to travel through France unmolested, though Juliana worried privately as to what might befall them when they reached a Channel port and must take ship for England. However, that lay untold weeks ahead; no use to fret about it yet. There seemed little doubt that their journey across revolution-torn France must be far slower and more hazardous than it would have been in normal times.
Up to the moment of setting sail Juliana had not dared to question her father about their abrupt and unexpected departure—so harassed, apprehensive, and distraught had been his bearing, so impaired his state of health, so infrequent and nightmare-ridden his brief spells of repose as they journeyed across Italy in a drafty and rattling carriage. Sometimes, at posting stages, he had glanced back along the road, as if expecting to see the tall pale Englishwoman in pursuit, but, so far as Juliana was aware, and greatly to her relief, no further sign had been seen of this personage.
When they were safely afloat and, favored by a calm sea and following wind, were making northwestward, Juliana, observing with unbounded relief her father ’ s happier look and somewhat easier deportment as the roofs of Leghorn fell away below the horizon, ventured for the first time to make an inquiry.
Little as she wished to worry her distressed parent any further by questioning, she felt it really incumbent upon her to do so. Beneath her youthful vivacity there lay a vein of sound common sense which told her that, reluctant though she must be to entertain the idea, her father ’ s frail health and recklessly self-taxing disposition rendered it unlikely that he would live for many more years. Indeed, so exhausting had this hasty removal proved to his delicate frame that, she owned sorrowfully to herself, the period of life remaining to him might even have to be measured in months. If only he could be brought to follow medical advice! But he nurtured a barely concealed contempt for all Italian doctors and paid very little heed to their admonitions. Perhaps in England he might prove more biddable; this, Juliana thought, was one of the very few factors in favor of their removal.
She herself grieved at quitting Florence, in which city they had lived for nearly ten years, and where the climate appeared to agree with her father. They had acquired few friends, however; Mr. Elphinstone was of a reclusive temperament and seemed to shun his fellow countrymen; their only connections were his professional acquaintances, editors of
“Very well, Papa,” she said obediently.
“And, when you have done that, help me pack our possessions. I will attend to my papers—do you concern yourself with our clothes, and other belongings. Fortunately we have not much! We must, in any case, have left within a few months,” he murmured to himself, and, to Juliana ’ s inquiring glance, added rather hastily, “It is said that the French are certain to invade Tuscany.”
With trembling hands he began inserting books into a canvas bag, breaking off to admonish Juliana, “If anybody knocks at the door—do not answer!”
“Oh, dearest Papa—truly I am not sure that you are well enough—”
“Hush!” he said, turning on her so terrible a look that without further question she set about doing his bidding.
II
Two days later the father and daughter were aboard a small packet boat in the Gulf of Genoa. Tuscany being neutral, shipping still plied to and fro between Leghorn and the French Mediterranean ports. By some mysterious means Mr. Wyndham, the British Envoy at the Court of Tuscany, a good friend of Mr. Elphinstone, had procured Swiss papers for the pair, and they traveled as Herr Doktor Eck and his daughter Johanna. Switzerland at that time was still on terms of uneasy friendship with France; therefore as Swiss citizens they might hope to travel through France unmolested, though Juliana worried privately as to what might befall them when they reached a Channel port and must take ship for England. However, that lay untold weeks ahead; no use to fret about it yet. There seemed little doubt that their journey across revolution-torn France must be far slower and more hazardous than it would have been in normal times.
Up to the moment of setting sail Juliana had not dared to question her father about their abrupt and unexpected departure—so harassed, apprehensive, and distraught had been his bearing, so impaired his state of health, so infrequent and nightmare-ridden his brief spells of repose as they journeyed across Italy in a drafty and rattling carriage. Sometimes, at posting stages, he had glanced back along the road, as if expecting to see the tall pale Englishwoman in pursuit, but, so far as Juliana was aware, and greatly to her relief, no further sign had been seen of this personage.
When they were safely afloat and, favored by a calm sea and following wind, were making northwestward, Juliana, observing with unbounded relief her father ’ s happier look and somewhat easier deportment as the roofs of Leghorn fell away below the horizon, ventured for the first time to make an inquiry.
Little as she wished to worry her distressed parent any further by questioning, she felt it really incumbent upon her to do so. Beneath her youthful vivacity there lay a vein of sound common sense which told her that, reluctant though she must be to entertain the idea, her father ’ s frail health and recklessly self-taxing disposition rendered it unlikely that he would live for many more years. Indeed, so exhausting had this hasty removal proved to his delicate frame that, she owned sorrowfully to herself, the period of life remaining to him might even have to be measured in months. If only he could be brought to follow medical advice! But he nurtured a barely concealed contempt for all Italian doctors and paid very little heed to their admonitions. Perhaps in England he might prove more biddable; this, Juliana thought, was one of the very few factors in favor of their removal.
She herself grieved at quitting Florence, in which city they had lived for nearly ten years, and where the climate appeared to agree with her father. They had acquired few friends, however; Mr. Elphinstone was of a reclusive temperament and seemed to shun his fellow countrymen; their only connections were his professional acquaintances, editors of
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