"If I only had some place to sit on," said Minnie, still reverting to her original grievance, "it wouldn"t be so very bad, you know. I could put up with not having a bed, or a sofa, or that sort of thing, you know; but really I must say not to have any kind of a seat seems to me to be very, very inconsiderate, to say the least of it."
"Poor darling!" said Ethel again.
"And now do you know, Ethel dear, I"m beginning to feel as though I should really like to run away from this place, if I thought that horrid man wouldn"t see me?"
"Minnie darling," said Ethel, "that"s the very thing I came for, you know."
"Oh yes, I know! And that dear, nice, good, kind, delightful priest!
Oh, it was so nice of you to think of a priest, Ethel dear! I"m so grateful! But when is he coming?"
"Soon, I hope. But _do_ try not to talk so."
"But I"m only whispering."
"Yes, but your whispers are too loud, and I"m afraid they"ll hear."
"Well, I"ll try to keep still; but it"s so _awfully_ hard, you know, when one has _so_ much to say, Ethel dear."
Minnie now remained silent for about five minutes.
"How did you say you were going to take me away?" she asked at length.
"In disguise," said Ethel.
"But _what_ disguise?"
"In an old woman"s dress--but hu-s-s-s-sh!"
"But I don"t _want_ to be dressed up in an old woman"s clothes; they make me _such_ a figure. Why, I"d be a perfect fright."
"Hu-s-s-s-sh! Dear, dear Minnie, you"re talking too loud. They"ll certainly hear us," said Ethel, in a low, frightened whisper.
"But _do_--_do_ promise you won"t take me in an old woman"s clothes!"
"Oh, there--there it is again!" said Ethel. "Dear, dear Minnie, there"s some one listening."
"Well, I don"t see what harm there is in what I"m saying. I only wanted--"
Here there was a movement on the stairs just outside. Ethel had heard a sound of that kind two or three times, and it had given her alarm; but now Minnie herself heard it, and stopped speaking.
And now a voice sounded from the stairs. Some Italian words were spoken, and seemed to be addressed to them. Of course they could make no reply. The words were repeated, with others, and the speaker seemed to be impatient. Suddenly it flashed across Ethel"s mind that the speaker was Girasole, and that the words were addressed to her.
Her impression was correct, and the speaker was Girasole. He had heard the sibilant sounds of the whispering, and, knowing that Minnie could not speak Italian, it had struck him as being a very singular thing that she should be whispering. Had her sister joined her? He thought he would go up and see. So he went up softly, and the whispering still went on. He therefore concluded that the "Italian woman" was not doing her duty, and that Mrs. Willoughby had joined her sister. This he would not allow; but as he had already been sufficiently harsh he did not wish to be more so, and therefore he called to the "Italian woman."
"Hallo, you woman there! didn"t I tell you not to let the ladies speak to one another?"
Of course no answer was given, so Girasole grew more angry still, and cried out again, more imperatively:
"Why do you not answer me? Where are you? Is this the way you watch?"
Still there was no answer. Ethel heard, and by this time knew what his suspicion was; but she could neither do nor say any thing.
"Come down here at once, you hag!"
But the "hag" did not come down, nor did she give any answer. The "hag" was trembling violently, and saw that all was lost. If the priest were only here! If she could only have gone and returned with him! What kept him?
Girasole now came to the top of the stairs, and spoke to Minnie.
"Charming mees, are you awake?"
"Yes," said Minnie.
"Ees your sistaire wit you?"
"No. How can _she_ be with me, I should like to know, when you"ve gone and put her in some horrid old room?"
"Ah! not wit you? Who are you whisperin" to, den?"
Minnie hesitated.
"To my maid," said she.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "WHAT DIT YOU COME FOR?"--"FOR HER."]
"Does de maid spik Inglis?" asked Girasole.
"Yes," said Minnie.
"Ah! I did not know eet. I mus have a look at de contadina who spiks Inglis. Come here, Italiana. You don"t spik Italiano, I tink. Come here."
Ethel rose to her feet.
Girasole ran down, and came back after a few minutes with a lamp.
Concealment was useless, and so Ethel did not cover her face with the hood. It had fallen off when she was sitting by Minnie, and hung loosely down her shoulders from the strings which were around her neck. Girasole recognized her at one glance.
"Ah!" said he; and then he stood thinking. As for Ethel, now that the suspense was over and the worst realized, her agitation ceased. She stood looking at him with perfect calm.
"What dit you come for?" he asked.
"For _her_," said Ethel, making a gesture toward Minnie.
"What could you do wit her?"
"I could see her and comfort her."
"Ah! an" you hope to make her escape. Ha, ha! ver well. You mus not complain eef you haf to soffair de consequence. Aha! an" so de priest bring you here--ha?"
Ethel was silent.