“There are people at Mergellina who are bad people,” he said. “We are not Neapolitan. We had better keep to ourselves. You have too much heart, Signora, a great deal too much heart, and you do not always know what people are.”
“Do you think I ought not to have given Ruffo that money for his mother?” Hermione asked, almost meekly.
“Si, Signora. It is not for you to give his mother money. It is not for you.”
“Well, Gaspare, it’s done now.”
“Si, it’s done now.”
“You don’t think Ruffo bad, do you?”
After a pause, Gaspare answered:
“No, Signora. Ruffo is not bad.”
Hermione hesitated. She wanted to ask Gaspare something, but she was not sure that the opportunity was a good one. He was odd to-night. His temper had surely been upset. Perhaps it would be better to wait. She decided not to speak of what was in her mind.
“Well, Gaspare, good-night,” she said.