"Yes," agreed his wife, biting her lip. "It 's certainly sudden. But consider in what an interesting way their acquaintance began! Do you know anything about him?"
"I know he 's a gentleman, and a clever fellow," returned the Count. "And from time to time he makes some money, I believe."
"Lucia's got some money," mused the Countess.
Down by the stream they walked, side by side, showing indeed (as the Countess remarked) every sign of taking to one another very much.
"You really think we shall hear no more of Paul de Roustache?" asked Lucia.
"I 'm sure of it; and I think M. Guillaume will let me alone too. Indeed there remains only one question."
"What's that?" asked Lucia.
"How you are going to treat me," said the Captain. "Think what I have suffered already!"
"I could n't help that," she cried. "My word was absolutely pledged to Emilia. 'Whatever happens,' I said to her, 'I promise I won't tell anybody that I 'm not the Countess.' If I had n't promised that, she could n't have gone to Rome at all, you know. She 'd have died sooner than let Andrea think she had left the Castle."
"You remember what you said to her. Do you remember what you said to me?"