She stopped a moment, with her hand on the knob of
the lock, and glanced back.
"I will call Sabina," she said, and she was gone.
He stood still and waited, and two or three minutes passed before
Sabina entered. She glanced at him, smiled rather gravely, and looked
round the room as she came forward, as if expecting to see some one
else.
"Where is my mother?" she asked, holding out her hand.
"She said she was going to call you," Malipieri answered.
"So she did, and she told me she was coming back to you, because I was
not quite ready."
"She did not come back."
"She means us to be alone," Sabina said, and suddenly she took both
his hands and pressed them a little, shaking them up and down, almost
childishly. "I am so glad!" she cried. "I was longing to see you!"
Even then, Malipieri could not help smiling, and for a moment he
forgot all his troubles. When they sat down, side by side, upon a
little sofa, the Princess was already telling the ambassador that
Malipieri had come and that they were engaged to be married. She had
carried the situation by a master stroke.
"She has told you all about me," Malipieri said, turning his face to
Sabina. "You know what my life is. Has she told you everything?"
"Yes," Sabina answered softly, but not meeting his look, "everything.
But I want to hear it from you.
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