-chair, hoping to find relief in
the open air.

"What do you say to this, Piero?" said a voice resembling Luisa's in
tone, but sweeter and with a tired ring; a voice that seemed to come
from a gentle heart which the world has used harshly, and which must
yield. "What do you say to this? After all, our precautions will be of
no avail."

"No, no, Mamma. We are not sure of that. We cannot say so yet!"

While Luisa was speaking, Franco, who was in the salon with the curate,
came out to embrace the engineer.

"Well," said Ribera, extending his hand, for embraces were little to his
taste. "What has happened?"

Franco related what had taken place, softening somewhat certain too
offensive expressions of his grandmother's concerning the Rigeys,
concealing her threat of not leaving him a penny, and blaming his own
over-susceptibility rather than the old-woman's ill-nature, and finally
confessing that he had purposely let it be known that he intended to
remain out all night. This could have no other effect than that of
leading his grandmother to an immediate discovery, for she would
question him concerning this absence, and his silence would be a
confession, for he did not intend to lie about this matter.

"Listen!" Uncle Piero exclaimed, with the ringing voice and open
countenance of the perfectly straightforward man who, being smothered to
the point of suffocation with precautions and dissimulations, finally
strikes out from the shoulder and, casting them off, breathes freely
once more. "I admit you were wrong to irritate your grandmother, for,
after all, old people must be respected even when they err; I see that
the consequences may be serious, but nevertheless I am glad things are
as they are, and I should be more glad if you had told your grandmother
everything, clearly and roundly. I have never had any patience with all
this secrecy, all this feigning and hiding. The honest man openly
confesses his actions. You desire to marry against your grandmother's
wishes? Well do so, but, at least, don't deceive her."

"But Piero!" Signora Teresa exclaimed, who, besides a delicate
perception of what life should be, possessed an accurate sense of what
life really is, and, being much more given to religious exercises than
her brother, and standing on a more familiar footing with the Almighty,
could most easily persuade herself that He would make certain
concessions in the matter of form, when some substantial benefit was to
be