Eufemia that evening, safely relying on the expectation that the Signora Orsola would go fast asleep, and determined to bring matters to an understanding between him and Paolina.
"You can hardly, I think, doubt, Paolina mia, that I love you dearly, far more dearly than anything else on the face of the earth.

Do you not see and know that all my life is devoted to you?
You do not doubt, darling, do you ?" said Ludovico, as he sat holding one of her hands in his.
She sat silent for awhile, and with her face turned away from him, though she made no attempt to take her hand from his.
"You do not doubt it, Paolina ?" he asked again.
"If I did doubt it,--if I had doubted it, Ludovico, you could not have taught me the lesson which you have taught me--the lesson which you well know you have so thoroughly taught me, to love you.

We neither of us doubt of the love of the other.

But--." She still continued to sit with her face averted from him; and, after another pause, finished her speech only by a little sad shake of her head.
Now the truth was that Ludovico often did doubt very much whether Paolina really loved him.

He did not understand the position in which they stood towards each other at all.