You should always keep your own counsel.
Never tell the truth to your father, your mother, or your sisters, that
it may be well with you on earth. Mark my words." As he spoke thus
blasphemously, Teresina seemed to regard his utterance as a pious
admonition, for she seized his hand and kissed it reverently as if it
had been a priest's.
He laughed. "Come," he said, "come, little wife, we will walk arm in arm
into the room downstairs!"
She seemed a little coy at first, but smiled with genuine gratification.
It was high time for them to go down, for they met Olivo coming up. He
was flushed and wore a frown, so that Casanova promptly inferred that
the Marchese or the Abbate had roused his suspicions by some coarse jest
concerning Teresina's prolonged absence. His brow cleared when he beheld
Casanova on the threshold, standing arm in arm with the girl as if in
sport.
"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, Olivo," said Casanova. "I had
to finish my letter." He held the missive out to Olivo in proof of his
words.
"Take it," said Olivo to Teresina, smoothing her rumpled hair. "Hand it
to the messenger."
"Here are two gold pieces for the man," added Casanova.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128