At this moment, this very moment, was not the child
stealing something from him?
For Delfina was playfully constraining her mother to remain upon her
knees. She hung with all her weight round Donna Maria's neck, crying
through her laughter--
'No--no--no--you shall not get up!'
And whenever her mother opened her mouth to speak, she clapped her
little hands over it to prevent her, made her laugh, bandaged her eyes
with the long plait--played a hundred pranks.
Watching her, Andrea felt, that by all this playful commotion, she was
dispelling from her mother all that his verses had possibly instilled
into her mind.
When, at last, Donna Maria succeeded in freeing herself from her darling
tyrant, she saw his annoyance in his face, and hastened to say--'Forgive
me, Andrea, Delfina is sometimes taken with these fits of wildness.'
With a deft hand she re-arranged the disordered folds of her dress.
There was a faint flush under her eyes and her breath came quickly.
'And forgive her too,' she continued with a smile to which the unwonted
animation of colour lent a singular light, 'out of consideration for her
unconscious homage, for it was she who had the happy inspiration to
place a nuptial wreath over your verses which sing of nuptial communion.
That sets a seal upon the alliance.'
'My thanks both to you and to Delfina,' answered Andrea.
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