"He is well, but the temper of him is marvellously melancholy. He is building an aqueduct, and so am I. The thing is accomplished by his working perpetually while I smoke cigarettes and read novels."
"The division of labour is to your advantage, I should say," remarked
Corona.
"Immensely, I assure you. He promotes the natural advantages of my lands, and I encourage the traffic in tobacco and literature. He works from morning till night, is his own engineer, contractor, overseer, and master-mason. He does everything, and does it well. If we were less barbarous in our bachelor establishment I would ask you to come and see us—in earnest this time—and visit the work we are doing. It is well worth while. Perhaps you would consent as it is. We will vacate the castle for your benefit, and mount guard outside the gates all night."
Again Corona blushed. She would have given anything to go, but she felt that it was impossible.
"I would like to go," she said. "If one could come back the same day."
"You did before," remarked Saracinesca, bluntly.
"But it was late when I reached home, and I spent no time at all there."
"I know you did not," laughed the old man. "You gave Gigi Secchi some money, and then fled precipitately."
"Indeed I was afraid you would suddenly come upon me, and I ran away," answered Corona, laughing in her turn, as the dark blood rose to her olive cheeks.
"As my amiable ancestors did in the same place when anybody passed with a full purse," suggested Saracinesca. "But we have improved a little since then. We would have asked you to breakfast. Will you come?"