A House Divided Against Itself - Margaret O. Oliphant

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." So said Abraham Lincoln in 1858. Here we have the irascible Mr. Waring, an elderly English ex-patriot, living in Italy with his charming daughter, Frances. Mr. Waring was there long before the hotels and the tourists, and resents them all, especially the gawkers, of which there were many... and most of them fellow Englishmen. We see that petite Frances is mistress of the house, and carries out her duties in the fashion of a true English lady, although this is more by accident than design, since she barely remembers the land of her birth, nor are there any English ladies to guide her. But, sweet as she seems, there is another side to her character, which makes itself known when an unexpected visitor arrives.( Lynne Thompson)