Part 18 (1/2)
”No, thank you. The--”
”I could no more preach and pray with my maids as you do, Vittoria, than I could fly!”
”Why not?”
”I should die of shame.”
”Nonsense,” said the Marchioness, laughing.
”I really should. It would be so ridiculous.”
”Quite otherwise, I think, if you undertook it in the right spirit.”
”But I never could. It is not in me. They would all begin to laugh--”
”They must be under very poor control, then,” said Vittoria.
”Besides, it would be so uncalled for--it would take their thoughts off their proper work.”
”What is their proper work?”
”To do vast quant.i.ties of embroidery and fine needlework.”
”Well, I think _your_ proper work is to care for their souls.”
”That's Fra Silvano's office.”
”Does he fulfil it?”
”Not very well, I'm afraid. He chatters and laughs with them too much.”
”I should like to see him chatter and laugh with _my_ maids,” said Vittoria, kindling. ”He should not do so twice.”
”Ah,” said Giulia, after a pause--”I wish I were as good as you, Vittoria--”
”My dear soul, I am not good.”
”You are a great deal better than I am. Such as I am, I am and ever shall be.”
”Hush, we can none of us say that!”
”At any rate, there is no good thing in me, to impart to others. And the girls do very well as they are--they stick to their needles.”
”What do they think of the while?”
”Of their needles, I suppose.”
”If they do, they are better than I am,” said Vittoria, almost with a groan. ”Oh, Giulia, don't believe it!”