"Piero!" his sister pleaded.
"Come, let us have an answer," Uncle Piero continued without moving. "What would you do? Would you, or would you not ring this bell?"
"For pity's sake!" Signor Giacomo groaned. "You really must excuse me."
"I will excuse nothing!"
The young people were still absent, and the mother growing more and more anxious, repeated—
"Piero, I tell you to ring!"
Signor Giacomo, who was dying to get away, and who could not leave without saluting the bride and groom, encouraged by Signora Teresa's insistence, made a great effort, turned very red and finally pronounced an opinion: "I should ring."
"My dear Signor Giacomo," the engineer exclaimed, "I am surprised, amazed and astonished!" Who can say why, when he was in good spirits, and had occasion to use one of these synonyms, he would always string the three together? "However," he concluded, "let us ring."
And he proceeded to ring very gently.
"Listen, Piero," said Signora Teresa. "Remember that when you leave, Franco is to go with you. He will return at half-past five for the Mass."