"Don't play with her, Sebastiano," said Hermione. "She's a good girl."
"I know that, signora."
"She deserves to be well treated."
Sebastiano went over to the terrace wall, looked into the ravine, turned round, and came back.
"Who's treating Lucrezia badly, signora?"
"I did not say anybody was."
"The girls in Marechiaro can take care of themselves, signora. You don't know them as I do."
"D'you think any woman can take care of herself, Sebastiano?"
He looked into her face and laughed, but said nothing. Hermione sat down. She had a desire to-day, after Lucrezia's conversation with her, to get at the Sicilian man's point of view in regard to women.
"Don't you think women want to be protected?" she asked.