Again he took her hand, and again his head swam round with the
violence of the emotion caused by the contact of palm with palm, as
he said,
"Ah, Signora, if I were equally candid perhaps it would turn out
that it was for me to confess, and for you to grant absolution--if
you could. Do you think you could?" he said, raising her hand to his
lips as he said the words.
"Ha! Signor Marchese, that would quite depend upon the nature of the
confession. When I have heard it I will do my best to be an
indulgent confessor. But, however curious I may be to hear you in
the confessional, it must not be now; or I shall really not be ready
to receive Signor Stadione. Heavens! It wants only ten minutes to
one now. I must run and dress as quickly as I possibly can. To think
that almost an hour should have run away since you came here; and it
seems like ten minutes. May I beg your indulgence, Signor Marchese,
if I ask you to wait for me while I dress? I will be as quick as I
possibly can."
"On no account hurry yourself, Signora. It is my fault for having
detained you. And if I had to wait ten hours instead of one, would
not the one I have passed be cheaply purchased? Never mind Stadione;
I will explain to him that you are dressing--"
"And that you have been made to wait some time already by my
abominable unpunctuality," said Bianca, holding up one fore-finger
and giving him a look of mutual intelligence.
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