"However, that is not the question; what I have been trying to find out is: what are you going to do about Carolina?"
"I shall throw the fool out of my house," he said sullenly.
"You can't do that, she is going of her own accord; but you owe her reparation."
"Reparation!" he raved, "Carolina! reparation! Let her show her face before me again—Reparation! She shall have all she wants and more too!"
Carolina, who, aroused by the noise of her master's rage, was listening at the key-hole slunk away and double-locked herself into her room, where she spent the greater portion of the night on her knees before the little image of the Virgin beseeching protection.
Egidio bounded to Ragna's chair and shook his fist in her face.
"I'll have you to understand that I won't have this sort of thing. I am master in my own house."
"Say harem!" she suggested. His violence left her unmoved, superficially, at least; she only saw how ridiculous he looked, stamping his foot, shaking his fist, his face inflamed and swollen, the eyes blood-shot and starting from their sockets. She laughed.
"My dear Signor Valentini, if you could only see how extremely ludicrous you make yourself!"
With an oath he rushed at her, but she moved not a muscle and the derisive smile never left her face. It cowed him, and with a demented gesture he jammed his hat down over his eyes and flung out of the room.