"If you do not care to meet these ladies," he said, "come with me at
once, and I will let you out through the Casino, by the upper path." The
Padre seemed greatly relieved, and the two started off in haste, the
Benedictine even forgetting to say good-night.
"It is late, too" said he. "When I asked the Father Abbot's permission,
I said I should be back at half-past nine."
They ran down the widening stairway, but when they reached the little
open space where the acacias stood, Jeanne Dessalle, Maria, and Noemi
were just entering it from the opposite direction.
It was not too dark under the acacias for Maria to recognise her husband
and Don Clemente in the two figures coming from the house. Being in
advance of her sister with Jeanne, she promptly turned to the right,
making her companion turn with her, and directed her steps towards the
little Casino, an addition to the villa, and standing with its back
to the larger house. Selva, on his part, seeing his wife's movement,
promptly whispered to the Padre:
"Go down the straight path at once.
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