I looked at Nichola in amazement. I was used to her denials; these were merely the form that her emotion took. I was used to her prejudices; these were her only pastime. But I had never before heard her offer an objection which seemed to have a reason.
“Why not—but why not, Nichola?” I cried.
“I had a sister,” Nichola explained unexpectedly; and in all these forty years and more I had never before heard her sister’s name upon her lips. “She went quietly, quietly to San Rafael an’ a priest married her to Beppo an’ they came home for supper. But no good came. Beppo was drown’ from his boat within the year an’ with him a net full of fine fish. If it is a runaway match I cannot do this. No good will come.”
“But, Nichola,” I urged reasonably, “you would not be blamed. Though to be sure I may ask you to telephone to Mr. Didbin, that young rector at Inglese. But you would not be blamed. And to make cream sherbet, that would be no part of the ceremony. And little cakes—”
“No good will come!” cried Nichola shrilly; “for the love of heaven, have I not said how Beppo was drown’ with all his fish? It is not holy.”
“Nichola,” I asked with dignity, “will you be sure to have a particularly delicious luncheon to-day? And will you make for dessert to-night a sherbet, with little cakes, and have it ready in the afternoon?”
I went away with a false majesty covering my certainty that Nichola would pay not the slightest heed to my injunction. Nichola is in everything a frightful nonconformist, from habit; if to this were really superadded a reason I could not tell what might happen, but I felt sadly sure that Lisa and Eric would have for their wedding feast afternoon tea and nothing more.
“Nichola!” said I from the doorway, “what made you think that they had run away?”
“Che!” said Nichola grimly, “I saw them come in the gate. Have I lived these seventy years always, always with my two eyes shut?”
As I hurried away I marveled at that. Once Nichola had unexpectedly proved to me that she has wishes and even dreams. Was it possible that she knew a lover when she saw one? After all, that is a rare gift.