Le marquis sentait qu’un accident arrivé à sa correspondance chiffrée pouvait le mettre à la merci de sa sœur ; aussi tous les ans, à l’époque de la Sainte-Angela, fête de la comtesse Pietranera, Fabrice obtenait la permission d’aller passer huit jours à Milan.
The Marchese felt that any accident to his ciphered correspondence might put him at the mercy of his sister; and so every year, at the feast of Sant'Angela, which was Contessa Pietranera's name-day, Fabrizio was given leave to go and spend a week at Milan.