Girasole ran down, and came back after a few minutes with a lamp. Concealment was useless, and so Ethel did not cover her face with the hood. It had fallen off when she was sitting by Minnie, and hung loosely down her shoulders from the strings which were around her neck. Girasole recognized her at one glance. "Ah!" said he; and then he stood thinking. As for Ethel, now that the suspense was over and the worst realized, her agitation ceased. She stood looking at him with perfect calm. "What dit you come for?" he asked. "For _her_," said Ethel, making a gesture toward Minnie. "What could you do wit her?" "I could see her and comfort her." "Ah! an' you hope to make her escape. Ha, ha! ver well. You mus not complain eef you haf to soffair de consequence. Aha! an' so de priest bring you here--ha?" Ethel was silent. "Ah! you fear to say--you fear you harma de priest--ha?" Minnie had thus far said nothing, but now she rose and looked at Girasole, and then at Ethel. Then she twined one arm around Ethel's waist, and turned her large, soft, childish eyes upon Girasole. "What do you mean," she said, "by _always_ coming here and teasing, and worrying, and firing off pistols, and frightening people? I'm sure it was horrid enough for you to make me come to this wretched place, when you _know_ I don't like it, without annoying me so. Why did you go and take away poor darling Kitty? And what do you mean now, pray, by coming here? I never was treated so unkindly in my life. I did not think that _any one_ could be so very, very rude." "Charming mees," said Girasole, with a deprecating air, "it pains me to do any ting dat you do not like." "It don't pain you," said Minnie--"it don't pain you _at all_. You're _always_ teasing me. You _never_ do what I want you to. You wouldn't even give me a chair." "Alas, carissima mia, to-morra you sall haf all! But dis place is so remote." "It is _not_ remote," said Minnie. "It's close by roads and villages and things. Why, here is Ethel; she has been in a village where there are houses, and people, and as many chairs as she wants." "Oh, mees, eef you will but wait an' be patient--eef you will but wait an' see how tender I will be, an' how I lof you." "You _don't_ love me," said Minnie, "one bit. Is this love--not to give me a chair? I have been standing up till I am nearly ready to drop. And you have nothing better than some wretched promises. I don't care for to-morrow; I want to be comfortable to-day. You won't let me have a single thing. And now you come to tease me again, and frighten poor, dear, darling Ethel." "Eet ees because she deceif me--she come wit a plot--she steal in here. Eef she had wait, all would be well." "You mustn't _dare_ to touch her," said Minnie, vehemently. "You _shall_ leave her here. She _shall_ stay with me."