"You will not deny me a little grain of original sin, will you?
It will make our life so much more varied and amusing, and when I say that you act constantly--I only mean what you said of yourself, that you are constant in your actions." "You so rarely spare me a compliment, Donna Beatrice, that you must forgive me for not having understood that one sooner.

Accept my best thanks--" "And agree to the expression of my most distinguished sentiments, as the French say at the end of a letter," said Beatrice, rising.

"And now that I have complimented everybody, and been civil, and pleased everybody, and have been thanked and have taken all the original sin of the party upon my own shoulders, I will go and have a swim before breakfast.
Good-bye, mamma.

Good-bye, Count." With a quick nod, she turned and left them, and went in search of Teresina, whose duty it was to accompany her to the bath.

The maid was unusually cheerful, though she had not failed to notice the change in Beatrice's manner which had taken place since the day of the betrothal, and she understood it well enough, as she had told Bastianello.