"I shall, if it is true, and if you have a good reason for saying it."
"Lamberti and I were together, talking, and I said that nothing would ever induce me to marry an heiress, unless it were to save my father or mother from ruin. As that can never happen, all heiresses are perfectly safe from me! Do you mind my having said that?"
"No. I am sure you were in earnest."
A shadow had crossed her face at the mention of Lamberti's name.
"You do not like my friend," he said, and as he spoke, the shadow came again and deepened.
"How can I like him or dislike him? I hardly know him."
She felt very uncomfortable, for it would have been quite natural that Lamberti should have spoken to Guido of her strange behaviour in the Forum. Guido answered that one often liked or disliked people at first sight.
"I think that you and I liked each other as soon as we met," he concluded.
"Yes," Cecilia answered, after a little thought. "I am sure we did. Tell me, what makes you think that I dislike your friend? I should be very sorry if he thought I did."
"When I first spoke of him a few moments ago, your expression changed, and when I referred to him again, you frowned."