"Am I not interrupting you ?" "No, dear--no." A very faint dawn of colour rose in Bianca's almost unnatural pallor.
"Something so strange has happened," said Veronica.
Then she nodded to Pietro Ghisleri, realizing that she had forgotten him.

He moved forward for her the chair on which he had been sitting, while he continued to stand.

Veronica had often met him there before.
"Donna Veronica has something to say to you," he said to Bianca.

"If you will allow me, I will go up to the stable and look at that dog." Bianca nodded, as though it were a matter of course that Pietro should look after her dogs when there was anything the matter with them, and Veronica sat down.

Her expression was strange, Bianca thought, as though she did not know whether to laugh or cry.