“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。