There is no such consolation to a born coward as a logical reason for
not doing what he is afraid to do.
But Giovanni promised himself that he would make his sister pay dearly
for having defied him, and as he had also made up his mind to have Zorzi
removed to the house, on pretence of curing his hurt, but in reality in
order to search for the precious manuscripts, it would be impossible for
Marietta to commit the same piece of folly a second time. But she should
pay for the affront she had put upon him.
He accordingly came back to the footway and walked along toward his own
glass-house; and the boy, who had finished washing his face, smoothed
his hair with his wet fingers and followed him, having seen and
understood all that had happened.
Marietta sent Pasquale on, to tell Zorzi that she was coming, and when
she reached the laboratory he was sitting in the master's big chair,
with his foot on a stool before him. His face was pale and drawn from
the suffering of the past twenty-four hours, and from time to time he
was still in great pain. As Marietta entered, he looked up with a
grateful smile.
"You seem glad to see us after all," she said. "Yet you protested that I
should not come to-day!"
"I cannot help it," he answered.
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