Certainly he did not
love Doro on the island, but perhaps it was as well that they should
meet there once, and get over their little antagonism, an antagonism
that Artois thought of as almost childish. Life was not long enough
for quarrels with boys like Doro. Artois had refused Hermione's
invitation on the sea abruptly. He had felt irritated for the moment,
because he had for the moment been unusually expansive, and her
announcement that Doro was to be there had fallen upon him like a cold
douche. And then he had been nervous, highly strung from overwork. Now
he was calm, and could look at things as they were. And if he noticed
anything leading him to suppose that the Marchesino was likely to try
to abuse Hermione's hospitality he meant to have it out with him. He
would speak plainly and explain the English point of view. Doro would
no doubt attack him on the ground of his interview with Maria
Fortunata. He did not care. Somehow his present preoccupation with
Hermione's fate, increased by the visit of Gaspare, rendered his
irritation against the Marchesino less keen than it had been.
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