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But "Shut up, Jenkins, you ass!" was all the latter got for a retort courteous. On the evening of the first court ball, the Sanseveros gave a small dinner, after which they went to the opera. The guests were the Count and Countess Olisco, Count Tornik, Don Cesare Carpazzi, and Prince Minotti. Don Cesare Carpazzi, a thin swarthy youth, sat just across the corner of the table from Nina.
The old ladies against the wall whispered together and glanced openly in her direction, as their gray heads bobbed above their fans. At the end of the evening, as she was descending the staircase with her aunt and uncle, she was joined by Zoya Olisco, who whispered excitedly, "Tell me, cara mia what happened this afternoon?" Nina started. "What have you heard?"
In the first lull, the Count Olisco asked her the usual question put to every stranger, "How do you like Rome?" The Countess Olisco, like an echo, caught and repeated her husband's inquiry, "Ah, and do you like Rome?"
"Who is that over there?" she asked of the duke. "I mean the slender girl in black." "The Contessa Olisco. She was a Russian princess. Her name was Zoya Kromitskoff. I thought the name of Zoya pretty once that is, until I heard the name of N-i-n-a!"
Fortunately, her agitation seemed natural to the prince and princess, and her apparent interest in Giovanni was so near to the truth that she did not mind. Late that afternoon she and Zoya Olisco sat together behind the tea table, for most of the time alone. Zoya had the story pretty straight, but Nina simply looked at her dumbly answering nothing.
The old saying that "Clothes make the man" was refuted in his case, however, as his arrogance was proclaimed in every gesture. Sitting next to him was the Countess Olisco, the Russian whom Nina had noted and admired at her aunt's ball. As there were but nine at dinner, and the conversation was general, Nina had time to observe closely her appearance.
"I'd like well enough to take all the credit for my country," she returned, with her usual good humor, "but in Eleanor's case it is the woman and not the nationality that is wonderful " Then she added brusquely, "I'm glad you appreciate her." The next moment she tossed the topic aside and discoursed noisily of the latest Roman gossip. About this time the Count and Countess Olisco were announced.
The Contessa Olisco, who for the time being was forced to do without her cigarette, said to Nina: "Look at her, there she is! She is 'going off, so that she has to wrap tulle about her old neck to hide the wrinkles." She moved the column of her young throat with conscious triumph as she spoke. A moment later, as though Nina would understand, she whispered: "There is the Potensi! No!
She presented him as though he were some inanimate personal possession. "We have been in Paris and Monte Carlo all winter. Got back yesterday. Nice old place, Rome, don't you think so? I dote on it, but of course it gets provincial if you stay too long!" At the same moment she caught sight of Zoya Olisco, and waved to her.
Zoya Olisco entered as she spoke. She stood a second on the threshold, then, closing the door after her, crossed the room quickly and, taking Nina's face between her hands, looked at her with a half-quizzical grimace. "You silly little cat," she said softly, "surely you have not been melting into tears over the duke's death nor yet for Giovanni's departure?" "How do you know about it?
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