'Nothing human is beyond my comprehension, good or bad, but you cannot make a monk of me, still less a saint--a Saint Louis of Gonzaga, who was too modest to look his own mother in the face!' He laughed roughly, but checked himself at once, fearing to hurt her again.
She turned to him with a look of gentle authority.
'In spite of what you have done to-night,' she said, 'you are such a manly man, that you can be the man you will.

Listen! If another woman tried to get your love, could you resist her?
Would you, for love of me ?' 'She would have small chance, you know that well enough.' 'There is another woman in me, Giovanni.

Resist her!' 'I do not understand.' 'You must try! There is another woman in me, or what is left of her, and she is quite different from my real self.

Resist her for my sake, as I am fighting her with all my strength.

It was she who tempted you to bring me here by a trick you are ashamed of already; it was she that made me weak, just now; but she is not the woman you love, she is not Angela, she is not worthy of you; and as for me, I hate her, with all my soul!' Severi had said truly that he could not understand, and instead of responding to her appeal, he turned impatient again.
'You choose your words well enough,' he answered, 'but women's fine speeches persuade women, not men.