"
"Why, you don't suppose, Signor Quinto, nor yet that old Marchese
don't suppose, I should think, that he's going to marry a woman like
my mistress, to keep her caged up like a bird that's never to sing,
except for him?"
"I tell you, Gigia, and you would do well to tell her, and make her
understand, that she is not Marchesa di Castelmare yet, and is not
likely to be, if this morning's work were to come to the ears of the
Marchese. It is just the very worst thing she could have done; and I
should have thought she must know that. I had rather that she should
have gone with any other man in the town."
"I am sure," said Gigia, with a virtuous toss of the head, "she
would not wish to go with any one of them."
"And she would wish to go with the Marchese Ludovico! There's all
the mischief. Just what I am afraid of. I tell you, Gigia, that if
the Marchese Lamberto hears of her going off in this manner with his
nephew, the game is all up. He would never forgive it."
"You will excuse me, Signor Quinto," said Gigia, with a demure air
of speaking modestly on a subject which she perfectly well
understood--"You will excuse me, if I tell you that I know a great
deal better than that. There's men, Signor Quinto, who are in love
because they like it; and there's others who are in love whether
they like it or no, because they can't help themselves!"
"And you fancy the Marchese Lamberto is one of those who can't help
himself, eh?" grumbled Quinto discontentedly.
Pages:
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71