“In Trifu’s house! Trifu is his cousin. Don’t listen, Lena; do you believe his lies?”
“How could I believe him, my dear, how could I believe him? Neither did Trifu believe him. He said he would blush to invent such lies.”
“Lies, Lena, lies. But let him see me! My daughter——”
“Say no more about it, Veta. May God keep Ana well, and you see her happy. Costa—but who’s Costa? Everybody laughs when he opens his mouth.”
“You heard it in Trifu’s house! Who knows in how many places he has spit out his libels, for that man spits, Lena, he spits worse than any cat; but I am not I if I don’t pay him out.”
Lena agreed with her, and sympathized with her and urged her not to be so angry, for the whole town knew what Ana’s behaviour always was, and people stood still and looked after her when she passed by, sweet and modest as a rosebud.
“Why let yourself be unhappy, my dear?” she said, getting up to go, “when every one’s heart swells when they see Ana, as if she were not the pride of us all when we see her going about with gentlemen’s daughters. Ana is just herself, and there is no one like her, so why give yourself bad moments because of the tittle-tattle of a man like Costa?”
Mistress Veta accompanied Lena to the door, and came back asking herself what was to be done.
Master Dinu came back just at the right moment.
Without much hesitation his wife told him everything with various additions and improvements.