The good lady implored her to return to the countess, in the name of society or of religion, but Veronica was not quite sure which she invoked, for her language was not very coherent.  She was not more than five-and-forty years of age, but she seemed to be already an old woman.  Her hair was grey, she had lost many teeth, and she dressed, as Veronica wickedly said to Bianca, like the devil’s grandmother.  She spoke affectionately, as well as reprovingly, however, having known both Veronica’s parents, and as having been a third cousin of her mother; and she begged the young girl to come and stay as long as she pleased at the Della Spina palace, as her guest.

Veronica thanked her, but declined to change her quarters.  It was clear that the Duchessa wished her to marry Gianluca, and had by no means given up all hopes of the match.  It was all the more clear, because she never mentioned him, though Veronica knew that he was no better; and Veronica herself, though sorry for him, asked no questions, lest any inquiry should be taken for a sign of an inclination which she did not feel.  The Duchessa smiled reprovingly and shook her head when she went away.  It would have been quite impossible for her to explain to Veronica why she should not remain longer than necessary under Bianca’s roof.  And, indeed, the matter might not have been easy to explain.  Veronica was glad when she was gone.

The cardinal was not so easy to deal with.  He was a man of singular intensity of opinion, so to speak, when he held any fixed opinion at all, and he was displeased when he learned that Veronica was with his niece.  On the other hand, the fact that Bianca was his brother’s daughter gave Veronica a weapon against him.  Why should she not spend a month or two with the niece of her former guardian, her old friend, the companion of her convent school days in Rome?  Would his Eminence tell her why not?  His Eminence replied by saying that he had never approved of Bianca’s marriage; that Prince Corleone was, in his opinion, as great a good-for-nothing as ever had appeared in Neapolitan society, and was at present known to be leading a dissipated life in Paris and London.  Veronica answered that all these things were to the discredit of Corleone, but that Bianca was to be pitied, since she had been so unlucky as to marry a scoundrel, and that, on the whole, it was better that Corleone should stay away from her, if he could not behave decently at home.  The cardinal retorted that no young girl should stay two months in the house of any woman who was practically separated from her husband, for whatever reason; and he said that this was an accepted tradition in society, and that society was not to be despised.  He was not prepared for the answer he received.

“I am Veronica Serra,” said the young girl, with a smile.  “Society is society.  When we need each other, we will try and agree.”