"Ah," Stefano said, "someone must speak, someone must speak at times to little signorinas who give pain and trouble."
Dorothy felt her dignity much injured, and repeated, with emphasis,—
"You should not speak like that to me."
Stefano only shrugged his shoulders; and as they had reached the door of the Villa Lucia, he left her, saying,—
"The little signorina will have to hear hard things, like the rest of us, one day."
Irene met Dorothy with the question—"How is your mother? Grannie is so anxious to know."
"Mother is not up yet," Dorothy replied. "Jingle is sitting with her."
The other children now came clustering round Dorothy with the same question; and Irene, after helping Dorothy to take off her jacket and hat, said,—
"Come and see grannie."
"Before my lesson?"