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If so, the choice she made was not followed by the results she hoped from it; and was attended by other inconveniences. The Signora Assunta Fagiani, the widow of a distinguished Bolognese professor of jurisprudence, was certainly quite free from all those dispositions which the Marchesa regretted in her niece.
The worthy Assunta Fagiani had taken care that all the gossip of Ravenna which connected this girl's name with that of Ludovico di Castelmare should reach her ears.
The Contessa Violante was in the habit of spending much of her time in the palace of her great-uncle the Cardinal Legate. It presented, among other advantages, that of being pretty well the only place in which she could escape for awhile from the companionship of the Signora Assunta Fagiani, her duenna.
But Assunta Fagiani, whose object had been simply to convince Violante that no union between herself and Ludovico would ever take place, despite all appearances to the contrary, had given her to understand that it was whispered as a thing not impossible such was Ludovico's infatuation that he might even go the length of making such an alliance.
Com' era scritto in certi suoi giornali, Ucciso avea con le sue proprie mani Un numero infinito d'animali: Cinquemila con quindici fagiani, Seimila lepri, ottantantre cignali, E per disgrazia, ancor tredici cani, &c. Source British Library Shelfmark: 012611.i.37/1 Description: tan cloth over board binding, 122mm x 184mm x 21mm, 176 pages plus 2 at front and 1 at back Modifications
It was the object and purpose, therefore, of Signora Assunta Fagiani that the Lady Violante should become in due time Duchessa di San Sisto, and not Marchesa di Castelmare. But she understood her position quite well enough to be aware that the end she had in view must be approached cautiously and patiently.
Now it so happened that the Signora Assunta Fagiani was an old friend of the Duca di San Sisto; and when the widow of the professor of jurisprudence was promoted to the important post she held in the household of the Marchesa Lanfredi, that nobleman did not fail to find means for securing the continuance of her friendship.
And in urging all these considerations, the Signora Assunta Fagiani spoke at least sincerely, and expended for the benefit of her pupil the best wisdom that was in her. Partly, however, she was working for her own purposes, as well as for the advantage, as she understood it, of her charge.
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