"If there is enough sugar in him to sweeten a teaspoonful of coffee, write to me," she added ironically.
"Well--I shall be at the church in an hour, but it will be time enough if you come at twenty-three o'clock--between twenty-two and twenty-three." This means between one hour and two hours before sunset.
"The light is good then, for there is a big west window," added Gianbattista in explanation.
"We will come before that," said Lucia.

"Good-bye, Tista, and take care not to catch cold in that damp place." "And you too," he answered, "cover yourselves carefully." With this injunction, and a parting wave of the hand, he left the house, affecting a gay humour he did not really feel.

His invitation to the two women to join him in the church had another object besides that of showing them the magnificent gilded grating which was to be put in place.

Gianbattista feared that Marzio had sent him upon this business for the sake of getting him out of the way, and he did not know what might happen in his absence.

The artist might perhaps choose that time for going in search of Gasparo Carnesecchi in order to bring him to the house and precipitate the catastrophe which the apprentice still feared, in spite of the last events of the morning.