"
But it was all to no purpose.
All to no purpose, because Noemi, astonished at seeing her sister turn
to the right, stopped short, exclaiming:
"Where are you going?" and Don Clemente, having perhaps noticed a lady
standing in his way, instead of passing her and going down, went to
summon the gardener, who was waiting for him in the darkest corner of
the little opening, where the side of the house meets the hill. He
called "Benedetto!" and then turning to Selva said: "Would you like to
show him the little field?" "At this hour?" Giovanni answered, while his
wife whispered to Noemi: "Some visitors are just leaving, let us stay
here at the Casino until they have passed," shaking her head at her so
emphatically the while, that Signora Dessalle noticed the action, and at
once suspected some mystery.
"Why?" she said. "Are they dangerous?" and slackened her pace. Noemi, on
the other hand, having understood her sister's wish, but not her
secret motive, was over-zealous in seconding her; and clasping her two
companions round the waist, she pushed them towards the Casino.
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