"No ... but you oughtn't to have done it."
He clasped her more tightly, to make her feel that he did not want to grumble at her, even though he thought that she had done wrong. She thought that she had done right not to mention the thousand lire to him, but she did not defend herself. It meant useless words; and she felt too happy to talk about money.
"Cornélie," he said, "let us get married."
She looked at him in dismay, startled out of her blissfulness:
"Why?"
"Not because of ourselves. We are just as happy unmarried. But because of the world, because of people."
"Because of the world? Because of people?"
"Yes. We shall be feeling more and more isolated. I discussed it once or twice with Urania. She was very sorry about it, but she sympathized with us and wasn't shocked. She thought it an impossible position, Perhaps she is right. We can't go anywhere. At San Stefano they still acted as though they did not know that we were living together; but that is over now."
"What do you care about the opinion of 'small, insignificant people, who chance to cross your path,' as you yourself say?"
"It's different now. We owe the prince money; and Urania is the only friend you have."