Angela felt that if she was to live on bread, water, and salad, she might as well have liberty with her dinner of herbs.

It was heartless to think of marrying, no doubt, when her father had not yet been dead a week, but since she was forced to take the future into consideration, she felt sure that Giovanni would marry her without a penny, and that she should be perfectly happy with him.

She could well afford to laugh at the Princess's advice so long as Giovanni was alive.

He was coming to see her to-morrow, she would tell him everything, and when the year of her mourning expired they would be married.
The question was, what she was to do in the meantime, since it was quite clear that she must soon leave the home in which she had been brought up.

Like all people who have never been face to face with want, or any state of life even distinctly resembling poverty, she had a vague idea that something would be provided for her.