thing that you do not understand, just remind
me, please.”

“I wish I did know Italian. Maybe I could
learn to speak it some time.”

“It's easy, especially when you know Latin
and French.”

This was the introduction to Lucia's story.
She did drop into Italian at times, but caught
herself. Betty missed nothing important.

“You can imagine, Betty, how I dreaded
coming to America to stay when I tell you that
it was at the end of a terrible quarrel between
my father and mother. I do not mean a loud,
awful time, but one of those still, quiet stilletto
exchanges of opinions and decisions. My father
accused my mother of not caring for him.
Mother set her teeth and said that the matter
was of no consequence one way or another be-
cause it was quite clear that he had never cared
for her. And, Betty, both of them love each other
dearly, though I suppose it has gone too far for
anything but one of those dreadful divorces.
This last talk was before me, and I tried to say
something; but both of them told me to keep
quiet. It had to be talked through.

“The point was this. My uncle had begged
her to come for a while, writing her about Aunt
Laura's death and Grandmother's condition

[[94]]

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