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Pina knelt down a little way behind her mistress, and Cucurullo took his place at the same distance behind his master; but Trombin went and stood on Ortensia's left and Gambardella on Stradella's right, as witnesses for the bride and bridegroom respectively.
In five minutes Stradella and his wife were driving rapidly over the cobble-stones towards Ponte Sisto, and Ortensia was telling the astonished musician what had taken place between her and Don Alberto, with all he had told her about Pina, Trombin, and Gambardella.
'Coward! she said faintly, as what had happened began to dawn upon her and the recollection of the furious struggle came back. 'Coward! she repeated, closing her eyes as Trombin dropped beside her on one knee. 'I have thrown him out of the window, he said quietly. She opened her eyes wide now, stared at him and recognised him, though as in a dream.
If there had been time, he would have stopped and looked back again, for as he turned he had the impression, without the certainty, that Trombin and Gambardella were standing at the edge of the crowd on the other side of the nave from Ortensia.
Trombin finished his orange and looked on. 'Did you ever cut a man's throat while you were shaving him, Tommaso? he asked idly. 'Only once, sir, Tommaso answered quietly, and he turned Gambardella's head a little on one side, in order to get below his jaw. 'Why did you do it? inquired Trombin, dipping the tips of his large pink fingers into a bowl of water and carefully rinsing his lips.
'I can already perceive the direction which the split will take. 'I never sit down, if I can help it, said Gambardella mournfully. 'It is a strange fact, answered Trombin thoughtfully, 'that only those nations that wear breeches sit upon chairs; the others squat on their heels, though they have no breeches to save. This is a most contradictory world.
'But she will be glad to see you as soon as possible, and if the Canons' carriage has not come back, my friend and I will take you home at once in ours; we have just bought one for our convenience. 'Thank you, Stradella answered, letting Trombin help him to pull his arms out of the tight sleeves of the purple silk cassock. 'You are very kind.
A pretty job it is going to be, to get a man out of a dungeon under the Lion Tower. 'Which one is that? asked Trombin, looking through the grated window at the gloomy castle on the other side of the square. 'It is at the northeast corner at the head of the street they call Giovecca. You cannot see it from here.
That is the whole story, sir. I was over the frontier before morning. Gambardella smiled while Tommaso went on shaving him, and Trombin laughed as if the jest were very good. 'It was not strictly in your branch of the profession, Tommaso, he said, 'but under the circumstances you acted with great tact.
'You and I were certainly meant to be lawyers or bankers, Trombin had observed at Rovigo over a bottle of very old Burgundy; 'for whichever of two cards turns up, we must win half the stakes. 'Both must turn up at the end of the deal, Gambardella had answered with decision, 'and we must win everything. 'Under Providence, Trombin had replied, 'we will.
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