The lad was disturbed. Had something been heard at Nuoro of Maria Obinu? He put down his fork and said he would eat no more till he heard explanation.
"You're so hasty!" sighed the old woman. "King Solomon says the hasty man is like the wind——"
"Oh King Solomon still? I was hoping you'd forgotten him," said the young man roughly. She was silent, rather hurt. Her husband looked at her, then at Anania, and wished to punish him.
"King Solomon always said the truth. But what they're saying in Nuoro is that you're making love to Margherita Carboni."
Anania flushed. He resumed his fork and ate mechanically, while he stammered—
"The fools!"
"Why no, they're not fools," said the father, looking into his glass which was half full of wine. "If it's true, there's good cause to complain, for you ought to confess to the padrone. You might say 'My benefactor, I'm a man now and you must forgive me for having hidden my hopes from you, as I have hidden them from my own parents.'"
"Stop! You know nothing about it!" cried the son angrily.
"Ah! holy Saint Catherine!" sighed Aunt Tatàna, who had already forgiven him. "Let the poor, tired boy alone! There's time enough to talk of these matters, and you are only a peasant and no scholar, so you don't understand."
The man drank his wine; waved a hand to implore peace, and said quietly:—