The affected languor of her tone irritated Norman almost as much as it was intended to irritate Cesano, but he could not well desert her now, and stood his ground. Cesano sobbed, put one hand on his breast and the other on a tableknife with which he made the most threatening gestures at Norman. The latter, who understood the hand-play more than the rhetoric, could not help laughing at the grotesque but unfortunate Alsandrian.
"Ah! you laugh now!" said Cesano, ferociously. "Some day I will make you smile at the back of your head."
And turning on his heel, to Norman's surprise, he went softly and quietly out of the room.
"I am so sorry for Cesano," said Norman. "I did not mean to be rude to him; he is a good man. I am sorry you were so cruel to him. He has not deserved it of you."
"Love is cruel! And, O, Normano, Love is divine!"
"Love is a very good subject of conversation," said Norman, ungallantly. He was tired, and therefore had sagacious misgivings as to what he had let himself in for. "Good night," he added, and turned on his heel.
"Is that all?" said Peronella, opening out her arms.
But the wary Englishman had fled.