The two young women were alone one afternoon, not long after Veronica had come, when Taquisara and Gianluca appeared together.  It was a part of Bianca’s way of showing her indifference to the world, to receive any one who came, whenever she was at home.  No one should ever be able to say that he or she had not been admitted when Bianca was in the villa.

At the door of the drawing-room, Veronica could see that Gianluca tried to make his friend enter before him, and that Taquisara pushed him forward, with a little friendly laugh of encouragement.  It happened that she was seated just opposite to the door.  Gianluca came on, and went directly towards Bianca.  He was thinner and more transparent than ever.  Veronica could almost fancy that she could see the light through his face.  She thought he was slightly lame; or, at least, that he walked with a little difficulty.

Bianca looked up kindly, as she gave him her hand, for she had always liked him.  Taquisara came to her a moment later, and both men turned to Veronica.  Gianluca evidently did not wish to sit down by Veronica, whereas Taquisara, in order to oblige him to do so, took a chair on the other side of Bianca, and spoke to her at once.  Gianluca seated himself upon a chair half-way between Bianca and Veronica.

Possibly Bianca resented the Sicilian’s cool way of forcing her to talk with him, as though he knew that she should prefer to do so.  For many reasons she was unduly sensitive to the slightest appearance of anything even faintly resembling a liberty.  She answered what he said, and made a remark in her turn; but, without waiting for his reply, she looked round at Gianluca and spoke to him, interrupting something which he was trying to say to Veronica.  In almost any situation, such a proceeding would have been tactless; but Bianca had seen the result of the meeting between Gianluca and Veronica on the former occasion, and she guessed rightly that if they were forced into the necessity of exchanging commonplaces, there would be an even more complete failure now than there had been before.  Taquisara had thrust him upon Veronica in an excess of friendly zeal for his interests.  He kept his place for a few moments, and then, seeing Bianca’s intention, rose and went to Veronica’s other side.  Gianluca immediately drew his chair nearer to Bianca.

Veronica did not remember afterwards how the Sicilian opened the conversation, nor what she herself at first said.  In spite of the strong impression he had produced upon her when they had met in the garden three or four weeks earlier, she now looked away from him, watching the other two as they talked.

She saw at a glance that Gianluca’s manner with Bianca was not at all what it was with herself.  He looked ill and worn; but his face had brightened, his tone was light and cheerful, and he was evidently saying amusing things, for Bianca laughed audibly, which was rare with her, even when she and Veronica were alone together.  He was at his ease; instead of seeming awkward he had an especial grace, beyond that of ordinary men; instead of being visibly disturbed by the sound of his own voice, he appeared to be almost as sure of himself and of what he was going to say as Taquisara.