The two lively Polish girls, however, came to my assistance, though under certain reservations. “Ah, _par exemple_,” cried Natalie V——, who, with her sister, had not long returned from completing her education at a convent in France, “that is extraordinary! I remember at Les Oiseaux, that several of the girls had brothers, who were allowed to see them in the _parloir_ alone; and I know, when they returned home, they used to walk out with them sometimes. _Pour aller dans le monde_, certainly not; but if our brother was here instead of in the Caucasus, poor fellow, you should see, Monsieur le Comte, that Olga and I would outrage _les convenances_ a little!”
The youth thus apostrophized smiled dubiously, and attempted to express that had he such charming sisters to accompany, he should be glad to enjoy the privileges of other countries; but being a novice in such matters, he broke down suddenly, and again fell a prey to my inquisitorial propensities. Was he fond of reading, and did he ever read aloud in the evening to his sisters while they worked? At this he fairly laughed, and said that _libri di devozione_ were all very well while one was in the seminary, but he had had enough of them there, and knew the _Vita de' Santi_ by heart, and therefore always kept out of the way when any _lettura_ was going on.
“Then they are never allowed to read stories, or history, or—or romances?” I proffered the latter suggestion very hesitatingly, it must be owned.
“Oh, no—of course not: his mother said girls must attend to the affairs of the house and to their religion; but as to books of entertainment, or travels, or anything of the sort, the less they read of them the better, as their heads would inevitably be turned, and they would be wanting to rove about the world, or be thinking about marriages of affection and lovers”—and at this last word he blushed.
Thus foiled at every effort, the conversation had almost come to a stand-still, when the noise, the stamping of feet, the clanging of _casseroles_, and hissing of frying-pans, reached their climax, a huge dish of macaroni was brought in, and we were told to _restar serviti_. No entreaties could induce any of our hospitable entertainers to seat themselves at table—they all insisted upon serving us; and between the intervals of carrying in the dishes and changing our plates, repaired to the kitchen, where our handmaids were also regaled, and made merry with right good-will. An amusing incident occurred just before we took our places, when Madame V—— and all of us stood up, and she motioned to the young curato to say grace: he grew very red, began in Latin, then stopped abruptly, and whispered to the count imploringly, “I have forgotten it: what am I to say?”