"I 'm sure I don't want to pry into her affairs, but—"
"No, I knew you would n't want to do that, Andrea."
"Still, my dear, it 's really a little odd. She left only four days ago. Now she 's back, and—"
The Count broke off, looking rather distressed. Such proceedings, accompanied by such mystery, were not, to his mind, quite the proper thing for a young and unmarried lady.
"I won't ask her any questions," he went on, "but I suppose she 's told you, Emilia?"
"Oh, yes, she 's told me," said the Countess, hastily.
"And am I to be excluded from your confidence?"
The Countess put her arms round his neck.
"Well, you know, Andrea," said she, "you do sometimes scoff at religion—well, I mean you talk rather lightly sometimes, you know."
"Oh, she went on a religious errand, did she?"