United States or Serbia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Hermione gave him a two-lire piece and got up to go. "Signora buona sera! What a pleasure!" The Marchesino stood before her, smiling, bowing. He took her hand, bent over it, and kissed it. "What a pleasure!" he repeated, glancing round. "And you are alone! The Signorina is not here?" He stared suspiciously towards the terrace. "And our dear friend Emilio?" "No, no. I am quite alone."
"Come in, little bird." The old lady, in pink merino and curl-papers, opened the door. Goneril held up her letter. "My cousin Jack is coming to Florence, and he is going to walk over to see me this afternoon. And may he stay to dinner, cara signora?" "Why, of course, Gonerilla. I am charmed!" Goneril kissed the old lady, and danced downstairs brimming over with delight.
"Sire, this is the chamber of the Signora Barbarina." "Open the door." But before the baron had time to obey the command, the impatient hand of the king had opened the door, and he had entered the room. Barbarina was resting, half reclining, and wholly abstracted, upon a small crimson divan; her rounded arms were crossed over her breast.
"Signora Principessa," he said in his usual tone, "those are arguments which may be used with propriety by the persons who will defend the accused before the tribunals " Giovanni laughed in his face. "Do you suppose, seriously, that Donna Faustina will ever be brought to trial?" he asked scornfully. The prefect kept his temper wonderfully well. "It is my business to suppose so," he answered.
So Signora Steno returned to the "Tre Re;" a little alarmed at the thought that she had passed herself off for another person and a somewhat different one, but charmed with the courtesy and kindness of the Marchese. And in less than an hour the strangers from Venice heard two voices below in the entrance of the locanda inquiring for two Venetian ladies who had recently arrived in Ravenna.
She then went to a drawer, and brought out several heads drawn with a complete ignorance of the art, but with great patience and natural talent. They were all heads of Gerard, and full of spirit; and really not unlike. One was his very image. "There," said she. "Now thou seest who was my teacher." "Not I, signora." "What, know you not who teaches us women to do all things? 'Tis love, Gerar-do.
"An acquaintance? why they are engaged to be married," almost shrieked poor Signora Orsola; "has not your lordship heard that they are engaged to be married?" "Indeed! and you are acquainted with the Contessa Violante too. Do you know whether her ladyship is aware of the engagement you speak of? I ask, because she is an old friend of the Marchese Ludovico." "To be sure she is aware of it.
I used to ride over to see her; it was a long way, but I rode fast, for young men, as no doubt the Signora knows, are impatient.
So I put my bonnet on, and then, when we were ready to say good-by, every one burst into tears, La Mamma, and Flavia, and Fausta, and Marc Antonio and his wife, and I, and even Luigi, though he said afterward he was sure he did not know why. And how we all embraced! The signora would have thought that we were going over the sea, instead of just across the Ponte Vecchio.
Arabin behaved himself very differently from Mr. Slope. The signora had said truly that the two men were the contrasts of each other that the one was all for action, the other all for thought. Mr. Slope, when this lady laid upon his senses the overpowering breath of her charms, immediately attempted to obtain some fruition, to achieve some mighty triumph.
Word Of The Day