"About Lugano. About your journey to Lugano on the twenty-fifth. He has promised to close an eye and let you pass."
Luisa was silent, and stood thoughtfully watching the fire. Presently she gave Leu some orders for the next day, and then begged her uncle to come into the parlour with her.
"What for?" said he, with his habitual simplicity, "You can't have any great secrets to tell. Let us stay here where the fire is."
Cia lit a candle. "We will go out," said she.
The uncle made his usual grimace, expressive of compassion for the weaknesses of others, but remained silent. Draining his glass of milk, he passed it to Luisa. She took the glass, and said softly: "I have not decided yet."
"What?" the uncle exclaimed sharply. "What is it you have not decided?"
"Whether I shall go to Isola Bella."
"Now what the deuce——?"
Uncle Piero was utterly incapable of grasping such a thing as this.
"And why should you not go?"