The Girl of his Dreams - Brunetti 17 by Donna Leon Page B
Authors: Donna Leon
Tags: Mystery
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was,' Paola answered, reminding Brunetti that Signora Sambo had not bothered to use the man's name, nor had anyone in the room used it during the evening.
'Nothing he said was in any way exceptional, just the same sort of pious platitudes you get in the editorials in Famiglia Cristiana ’ Paola went on, leaving Brunetti to wonder how on earth she could be familiar with them. 'But it's certainly the sort of thing people like to hear,' she concluded.
'Why?' Vianello asked, then waved to the barman, passing his hand over the four glasses.
'Because they don't have to do anything ’ Paola answered. 'AH they have to do is feel the right things, and that makes them believe they deserve credit for having done something.' Her voice deepened into disgust and she added, 'It's all so terribly American.'
'Why American?' Nadia asked, reaching for one of the fresh glasses the barman set on the counter.
'Because they think it's enough to feel things: they've come to believe it's more important than doing things, or it's the same thing or, at any rate, deserves just as much credit as actually doing something. What is it that poseur of a president of theirs was always saying, "I feel your pain"? As if that made any difference to anything. God, it's enough to choke a pig.' Paola picked up her glass and took a hefty slug.
'All you've got to do is have the proper feelings,' she went on, 'the fashionable sentiments, and make a business about how delicate your sensibility is. And then you don't actually have to do anything. All you do is stand there with your precious sentiments hanging out while the world falls over itself applauding you for them and giving you credit for having the same feelings that any sentient being would have.'
Brunetti had seldom seen Paola respond so savagely. 'My, my, my ’ he observed and took a sip of his prosecco.
Her head whipped towards him, her eyes startled. But then he watched her play her remarks back and take another hefty swig before saying, 'It was exposure to all that goodness, I think. It goes right to my head and provokes the worst parts of my character.'
They all laughed and the conversation became general.
'I'm always nervous when people don't use concrete nouns when they speak ’ Nadia said.
'It's why she never listens to politicians ’ Vianello said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer to him.
‘Is that how you keep her in thrall, Lorenzo?' Paola asked. 'You read her a list of nouns every morning?'
Brunetti glanced at Vianello, who said, 'I'm not a big fan of preachers, myself, especially when they make it sound like they aren't preaching.'
'But he wasn't preaching, was he?' Nadia asked. 'Not really.'
'No ’ Brunetti said, 'not at all. But I think we should remember that he saw four people there he had never seen before, and it might be that he was keeping things light and general until he found out who we were.'
'And I'm the one with the low opinion of human nature?' Paola asked.
'It's only a possibility ’ Brunetti said. 'I was told that there is generally a collection, or at least people pass him envelopes, but there was none of that tonight.'
'At least while we were still there ’ Nadia said.
'True enough ’ Brunetti admitted.
'So what do we do?' Paola asked. Turning to Brunetti, she said, 'It will put our marriage in serious peril if you ask me to go again.'
'Peril peril, or pretend peril?' he asked.
Brunetti saw her lips draw together as she considered how to answer him. 'Pretend peril, I suppose ’ she finally admitted, 'though the thought of having to go again would drive me to drinking the cooking sherry in the afternoon.'
'You already do ’ he said, putting an end to the discussion of Brother Leonardo.
11
The next day, Brunetti had barely seated himself at his desk when he received a call from Signorina Elettra, newly returned from Abano, who informed him that the Vice-Questore, himself just back from the crime seminar in Berlin, wanted to have
'Nothing he said was in any way exceptional, just the same sort of pious platitudes you get in the editorials in Famiglia Cristiana ’ Paola went on, leaving Brunetti to wonder how on earth she could be familiar with them. 'But it's certainly the sort of thing people like to hear,' she concluded.
'Why?' Vianello asked, then waved to the barman, passing his hand over the four glasses.
'Because they don't have to do anything ’ Paola answered. 'AH they have to do is feel the right things, and that makes them believe they deserve credit for having done something.' Her voice deepened into disgust and she added, 'It's all so terribly American.'
'Why American?' Nadia asked, reaching for one of the fresh glasses the barman set on the counter.
'Because they think it's enough to feel things: they've come to believe it's more important than doing things, or it's the same thing or, at any rate, deserves just as much credit as actually doing something. What is it that poseur of a president of theirs was always saying, "I feel your pain"? As if that made any difference to anything. God, it's enough to choke a pig.' Paola picked up her glass and took a hefty slug.
'All you've got to do is have the proper feelings,' she went on, 'the fashionable sentiments, and make a business about how delicate your sensibility is. And then you don't actually have to do anything. All you do is stand there with your precious sentiments hanging out while the world falls over itself applauding you for them and giving you credit for having the same feelings that any sentient being would have.'
Brunetti had seldom seen Paola respond so savagely. 'My, my, my ’ he observed and took a sip of his prosecco.
Her head whipped towards him, her eyes startled. But then he watched her play her remarks back and take another hefty swig before saying, 'It was exposure to all that goodness, I think. It goes right to my head and provokes the worst parts of my character.'
They all laughed and the conversation became general.
'I'm always nervous when people don't use concrete nouns when they speak ’ Nadia said.
'It's why she never listens to politicians ’ Vianello said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer to him.
‘Is that how you keep her in thrall, Lorenzo?' Paola asked. 'You read her a list of nouns every morning?'
Brunetti glanced at Vianello, who said, 'I'm not a big fan of preachers, myself, especially when they make it sound like they aren't preaching.'
'But he wasn't preaching, was he?' Nadia asked. 'Not really.'
'No ’ Brunetti said, 'not at all. But I think we should remember that he saw four people there he had never seen before, and it might be that he was keeping things light and general until he found out who we were.'
'And I'm the one with the low opinion of human nature?' Paola asked.
'It's only a possibility ’ Brunetti said. 'I was told that there is generally a collection, or at least people pass him envelopes, but there was none of that tonight.'
'At least while we were still there ’ Nadia said.
'True enough ’ Brunetti admitted.
'So what do we do?' Paola asked. Turning to Brunetti, she said, 'It will put our marriage in serious peril if you ask me to go again.'
'Peril peril, or pretend peril?' he asked.
Brunetti saw her lips draw together as she considered how to answer him. 'Pretend peril, I suppose ’ she finally admitted, 'though the thought of having to go again would drive me to drinking the cooking sherry in the afternoon.'
'You already do ’ he said, putting an end to the discussion of Brother Leonardo.
11
The next day, Brunetti had barely seated himself at his desk when he received a call from Signorina Elettra, newly returned from Abano, who informed him that the Vice-Questore, himself just back from the crime seminar in Berlin, wanted to have
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