"But it doesn't matter, does it, Dario /mio/?" continued Benedetta.
"Since you are now cured, they must make haste to give us permission to
marry. That's all we ask of them. And if they want more, well, I'll give
them my pearls, which will be all I shall have left me."
He also laughed, for money had never held any place in his life. He had
never had it at his pleasure, and simply hoped that he would always live
with his uncle the cardinal, who would certainly not leave him and his
young wife in the streets. Ruined as the family was, one or two hundred
thousand francs represented nothing to his mind, and he had heard that
certain dissolutions of marriage had cost as much as half a million. So,
by way of response, he could only find a jest: "Give them my ring as
well," said he; "give them everything, my dear, and we shall still be
happy in this old palace even if we have to sell the furniture!"
His words filled her with enthusiasm; she took his head between both
hands and kissed him madly on the eyes in an extraordinary transport of
passion. Then, suddenly turning to Pierre, she said: "Oh! excuse me,
Monsieur l'Abbe. I was forgetting that I have a commission for you. Yes,
Monsignor Nani, who brought us that good news, bade me tell you that you
are making people forget you too much, and that you ought to set to work
to defend your book."
The priest listened in astonishment; then replied: "But it was he who
advised me to disappear.
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