"Most people would say that! Eat your dinner, Giovanni, and do not talk such arrant nonsense."
"Why is it nonsense? Because you do not agree with me?"
"Because you are too much excited to talk sensibly," said his father. "Do you think I cannot see it?"
Giovanni was silent for a time. He was angry at his father for detecting the cause of his vagueness, but he supposed there was no help for it. At last Pasquale left the room. Old Saracinesca gave a sigh of relief.
"And now, Giovannino," he said familiarly, "what have you got to say for yourself?"
"I?" asked his son, in some surprise.
"You! What are you going to do?"
"I will stay at home," said Giovanni, shortly.
"That is not the question. You are wise to stay at home, because you ought to get yourself healed of that scratch. Giovanni, the Astrardente is now a widow."
"Seeing that her husband is dead—of course. There is vast ingenuity in your deduction," returned the younger man, eyeing his father suspiciously.