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She scarcely knew what to do or where to turn, but she was determined not to stay longer than she could help under this roof. She went down to the porter's lodge in the paved middle court. "Gigia!" The old woman came hobbling out to greet her with a toothless smile. "Ah, bella signorina, there are no more letters for you to-night. Have you come to talk to me for a little?"
Her last month's salary of eighty lire had been paid her four days ago, and she had already spent more than half of it on things she needed, new boots, an umbrella, gloves, odds and ends. This month's money had been given her last night, and she had left a few lire for the servant who had always brought up her dinner to her room, and had made Gigia a little present.
The well-trained servant said nothing and looked at nothing; but silently handed to her mistress two cards. "Of course you told these gentlemen that I was not visible, Gigia?" "Diamine!
I called at the porter's lodge this morning and Ser Gigia gave it me." "Such a waste of good things I never saw," the butler said afterwards to his wife. "As you know, the padrone never eats more than enough to fill a bird, but I have seen the signorino hungry, and the young lady too. To-day, however, they ate nothing, though the frittata was fit to melt in one's mouth.
That will do. Now, be sure of your man before you let him in. The Marchese Lamberto, mind, an elderly gentleman not the Marchese Ludovico, who is a young man. If he or anybody else should come before one o'clock tell them that I can see nobody till that time. Now, don't bring me the wrong man; and, Gigia, if he comes, don't announce him, you know.
The old gentleman will never know anything about it, you may be very sure. He is safe enough in bed and asleep after his late hours, you may swear. Besides, it's both best and honestest to begin as you mean to go on, and accustom him to what he's got to expect," said Gigia, fighting loyally for her side. "All very well in good time.
For my part, I wish she had not gone on this fool's errand this morning. Now, I will go and get my breakfast. I shall be back in half-an- hour. I expect Signor Ercole Stadione here this morning." Signor Ercole Stadione was the impresario of the Ravenna theatre. "And if he comes before you are back, Signor Quinto?" asked Gigia.
The quarter-past twelve had not struck, when the Diva heard a knock at the door of her apartment. Throwing the Line In the next instant Bianca heard the door of the room in which she was sitting opened very gently; it was Gigia who opened it, so gently as to enable her mistress to keep her eyes on a book she held in her hand, apparently unconscious that she was not alone.
The judicious Gigia had said that the extent of snowy bosom exposed was not too liberal, due consideration being had to the circumstance that the Diva was to be caught by an unexpected surprise in an undress.
"E troppo, cosi." she said to her attendant at last. "Is that too much so?" Gigia looked critically before she answered, "To receive, yes, a little, perhaps. But to be caught unawares, no; and then with a handkerchief, you know " "Oh, yes!
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