But Flexinna put her off and laughed at her insistence.

To Brinnaria the laughter seemed forced and so did the talk
at dinner. No sooner was the dinner over and the tray of figs,
almonds and pomegranates and other fruit on the table, than
she whispered to Flexinna:

"Tell the servants to stay out. I want to talk." Flexinna signed
to Vocco and they exchanged glances.

"Why did you keep up the farce so long?" Brinnaria sneered.
"I saw through it from the first."

"We were afraid," Vocco apologized, "that what I have to tell
you would spoil your appetite."

"It would take something pretty bad to spoil my appetite,"
Brinnaria reflected. "Is Almo dead?"

?Not so b-b-bad as that," spoke Flexinna.

"Tell me, Quintus," Brinnaria breathed.

Vocco fidgeted.

"It's an amazing story," he began.

"All his story, all my story, all our story," Brinnaria cut in, "is
amazing. Leave out the comments and tell the story."