"Don Ippolito has come, signorina," said Nina, the next morning, approaching Florida, where she sat in an attitude of listless patience, in the garden.
"Don Ippolito!" echoed the young girl in a weary tone. She rose and went into the house, and they met with the constraint which was but too natural after the events of their last parting. It is hard to tell which has most to overcome in such a case, the forgiver or the forgiven. Pardon rankles even in a generous soul, and the memory of having pardoned embarrasses the sensitive spirit before the object of its clemency, humbling and making it ashamed. It would be well, I suppose, if there need be nothing of the kind between human creatures, who cannot sustain such a relation without mutual distrust. It is not so ill with them when apart, but when they meet they must be cold and shy at first.
"Now I see what you two are thinking about," said Mrs. Vervain, and a faint blush tinged the cheek of the priest as she thus paired him off with her daughter. "You are thinking about what happened the other day; and you had better forget it. There is no use brooding over these matters. Dear me! if _I_ had stopped to brood over every little unpleasant thing that happened, I wonder where I should be now? By the way, where were _you_ all day yesterday, Don Ippolito?"
"I did not come to disturb you because I thought you must be very tired. Besides I was quite busy."
"Oh yes, those inventions of yours. I think you are _so_ ingenious! But you mustn't apply too closely. Now really, yesterday,--after all you had been through, it was too much for the brain." She tapped herself on the forehead with her fan.
"I was not busy with my inventions, madama," answered Don Ippolito, who sat in the womanish attitude priests get from their drapery, and fingered the cord round his three-cornered hat. "I have scarcely touched them of late. But our parish takes part in the procession of Corpus Domini in the Piazza, and I had my share of the preparations."
"Oh, to be sure! When is it to be? We must all go. Our Nina has been telling Florida of the grand sights,--little children dressed up like John the Baptist, leading lambs. I suppose it's a great event with you."