Ah! those friends of his!" she sighed.

"Let us sit down to supper," she added; and, from her tone, the idea of supper seemed to console her for her husband's absence.
"Perhaps he guessed that I was coming," remarked Don Paolo, with a smile.

"In that case he will be a little nervous with me when he comes back.

With your leave, Maria Luisa," he added, by way of announcing that he would say grace.

He gave the short Latin benediction, during which Gianbattista never looked away from Lucia's face.