They rode on without waiting for the others, at an even canter over the
sand.

"I never saw anything in Folco's eyes that could frighten anybody,"
Marcello said presently.

"No," answered Aurora. "Very likely not."

Marcello had always called Corbario by his first name, and as he grew up
it seemed more and more natural to do so. Folco was so young, and he
looked even younger than he was.

"It must be your imagination," Marcello said.

"Women," said Aurora, as if she were as near thirty as any young woman
would acknowledge herself, "women have no imagination. That is why we
have so much sense," she added thoughtfully.

Marcello was so completely puzzled by this extraordinary statement that
he could find nothing to say for a few moments. Then he felt that she
had attacked his idol, and that Folco must be defended.

"If you could find a single thing, however small, to bring against him,
it would not be so silly to say that his eyes frighten you."

"There!" laughed Aurora. "You might as well say that because at this
moment there is only that one little cloud near the sun, there is no
cloud at all!"