She looked at it, turned it round, opened it
and at last smelled the contents.
"Ugh!" she cried, shutting it up quickly and making a wry face.
"It is full of salts--horrible! I thought it was something good to
smell! Did she think I was going to faint on the way?"
"You do not look like fainting," remarked San Giacinto, who looked
gigantic in a wide fur pelisse. He put out his great hand, which
closed with a sort of rough tenderness over hers, completely
hiding it as well as the smelling-bottle she held. "So it is a
satisfaction, is it?" he asked, with a gleam of pleasure in his
deep-set eyes.
"If you had been educated under the supervision of the
eccellentissima casa Montevarchi, you would understand what a
blessed institution marriage is! You--what shall I call you--your
name is Giovanni, is it not?"
"Yes--Giovanni. Do you like the name?"
"No--it reminds me of the head of John the Baptist. I will call
you--let me see--Nino. Yes--that sounds so small, and you are so
immensely big. You are Nino, in future. I am glad you are big. I
do not like little men." She nestled close to the giant, with a
laugh that pleased him.
San Giacinto suddenly found that he was very much more in love
than he had supposed. His life had been very full of contrasts,
but this was the greatest which had yet presented itself.
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