Even now he asked himself whether he had done right.

It was a question of theology, which it would have taken long to analyse, and Don Paolo had other matters to think of in the present, so he dismissed it from his mind.

He wanted to be gone, and he only stayed a few minutes to see whether Marzio's mind would change again.

He knew his brother well, and he was sure that no violence was to be feared from him, except in his speech.
Such scenes as he had just witnessed were not uncommon in the Pandolfi household, and Don Paolo did not believe that any consequence was to be expected after he had left the house.

He only felt that Marzio had been more than usually unreasonable, and that the artist could not possibly mean seriously what he had proposed that evening.
The priest did not indeed think that Gianbattista was altogether good enough for Lucia.