Why should he speak of it?
Had she any reason to suppose there was danger to her in anything he meant to say?
Had he ever, by word or deed, betrayed that interest in her which she knew in herself was love for him?
Had he ever ?--ah yes! It was only the night before last that he had asked her advice, had besought her to advise him not to marry another, had suffered his arm to tremble when she laid her hand upon it.
In the quick remembrance that he too had shown some feeling, there was a sudden burst of joy such as Corona had never felt, and a moment later she knew it and was afraid.

It was true, then.

At the very time when she was most oppressed with the sense of her fault in loving him, there was an inward rejoicing in her heart at the bare thought that she loved him.
Could a woman fall lower, she asked herself--lower than to delight in what she knew to be most bad?
And yet it was such a poor little thrill of pleasure after all; but it was the first she had ever known.

To turn away and reflect for a few days would be so easy! It would be so sweet to think of it, even though the excuse for thinking of Giovanni should be a good determination to root him from her life.

It would be so sweet to drive again alone among the trees that very afternoon, and to weigh the salvation of her soul in the balance of her heart: her heart would know how to turn the scales, surely enough.