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He stayed with her a long time, and they sent for Sabina, who was by far the least disturbed of the three. It was all true, she said, and there was nothing against her in the article. Masin brought the news to Malipieri with his coffee, and the paper itself. Malipieri scarcely ever read it, but Masin never failed to, and his big, healthy face was very grave.
Sabina said nothing, for she knew that her mother always managed to have what she wanted, even when it looked quite impossible. The girl had been brought up in the atmosphere of perpetual debt and borrowing which seemed natural to the Princess, and nothing of that sort surprised her, though it was all contrary to her own instinctively conscientious and honourable nature.
Verus spoke the last words in a low tone, but with a dignity which characterized him only in decisive moments, but his wife, even before he had done speaking, clasped his right-hand in both of hers and said in a low frightened voice: "You aim at the purple?" He nodded assent. "That is what it means then!" "What?" "Sabina and you "
Puritans, who knew the story, welcomed its development and greeted each phase with religious enthusiasm; but others felt the situation to be growing absurd. Raymond himself so regarded it, and when Abel returned home again he insisted on seeing him. "You can be present if you wish to be," he told Sabina, but she expressed no such desire.
"Sabina," whispered Tom as he passed her, "a had business selfish coxcomb; when her beauty goes, won't stand her temper and her flightiness: but I know you and Claude will take care of the poor thing, if anything happens to me." "You're wrong prejudiced indeed!" "Tut, tut, tut! Good-bye, you sweet little sunbeam. Good morning, gentlemen!"
"What do you mean?" "If you are a woman, you probably guess." "No." "You may be offended," suggested Malipieri. "Not unless you are rude or pity me." She smiled now. "Is it very rude to like a person?" he asked. "If you think it is, I will not go on." "I am not sure," said Sabina demurely, and she looked down. "In that case it is wiser not to run the risk of offending you past forgiveness!"
Things that looked impossible on the day that Ironsyde heard Sabina scorn him, happened. Threats evaporated, danger signals disappeared; but, in other cases, while the jagged edges and peaks of bitterness and contempt were worn away by a decade of years, the solid rocks from which they sprang persisted and the massive reasons for emotion were not moved, albeit their sharpest expressions vanished.
"He must have a very good reason for offering to pay a hundred thousand francs in order that his son may marry Sabina, who has not a penny. I confess, if it were not an impertinence, it would look like a foolish caprice. I suppose he thinks it would be socially advantageous." Her lip curled and showed her even white teeth.
"That is a flattering way of putting it!" she answered. "It is true that I was brought up to lie about everything, but I never liked it. The others used to ask me why I would not, and whether I thought myself better than they." "What are we to do?" "Suppose that we tell the truth," said Sabina, nibbling thoughtfully at a last slice of bread. "It is much easier, you know." "Yes."
I suppose you're not properly his father if you don't marry her?" "That's nonsense, Estelle. I'm quite properly his father, and I'm going to be a jolly good father too. But I don't want to be married. I don't believe in it." "If Sabina knew you were going to love him and be good to him, she would be happier, I hope." "I'm going to see her presently," he said. "And see the baby?"
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