Her favourable impressions as to her future husband
were encouraged by the servant woman, who had long
acted as the confidante of both mother and daughter
without betraying the trust of either. She praised the
person, the courage, and the taste of Domenico, who
had estimated Graziella's beauty at its true value, and
been ready to risk everything for it ; and she blessed
herself that she should see her young mistress married
to a real man after all. Errico had certainly been
better than the malodorous lump of tallow ; but she
had always thought him too poor-spirited a fellow to
deserve the love of such a girl. She might be wrong ;
if she was he had a chance of proving it now. In case
he met his rival openly, or secretly put him out of the
way, she, for her own part, would never say another
word against him ; but, if he did not, he was not
worthy of so lovely a wife. The other young fellow
had been rather rough in his wooing, it was true, but
his temper would cool down, and every woman who
was worth anything would rather take a beating from
her husband now and then than see him the laughing-
stock of the neighbours.
