Why should she not spend a month or two with the niece of her former guardian, her old friend, the companion of her convent school days in Rome?
Would his Eminence tell her why not?
His Eminence replied by saying that he had never approved of Bianca's marriage; that Prince Corleone was, in his opinion, as great a good-for-nothing as ever had appeared in Neapolitan society, and was at present known to be leading a dissipated life in Paris and London.
Veronica answered that all these things were to the discredit of Corleone, but that Bianca was to be pitied, since she had been so unlucky as to marry a scoundrel, and that, on the whole, it was better that Corleone should stay away from her, if he could not behave decently at home.

The cardinal retorted that no young girl should stay two months in the house of any woman who was practically separated from her husband, for whatever reason; and he said that this was an accepted tradition in society, and that society was not to be despised.

He was not prepared for the answer he received.
"I am Veronica Serra," said the young girl, with a smile.

"Society is society.

When we need each other, we will try and agree." This was somewhat enigmatic, to say the least of it, and the cardinal was not quite sure whether he understood it.