And now, on this
last night of the festive season, she was the cynosure of all eyes
at the ball.
Bianca had, as it so happened, also chosen a Venetian costume of the
same period as that of Ludovico--about the middle of the sixteenth
century. In truth, it was mere chance that had led to this
similarity. And neither of them, as it happened, had mentioned to
the other the dress they intended to wear. Bianca, in fact, used as
she was to wear costumes of all sorts, and to outshine all beauties
near her in all or any of them, had thought nothing about her dress,
till the evening before; and then had consulted the Marchese
Lamberto on the subject: but had been so much occupied with him
during nearly the whole of that evening at his ball, that she had
not said a word about it to any one else.
It could not but seem, however, to everybody that the Marchese
Ludovico and La Lalli had agreed together to represent a pair
belonging to the most gorgeous and picturesque days of Venetian
history. And a most magnificently handsome pair they made. Bianca's
dress, or at least the general appearance and effect of it, will
readily be imagined by those acquainted with the full-length
portraits of Titian or Tintoretto. A more strictly "proper" costume
no lady could wish to wear. And the jeunesse doree of Ravenna, who
had thought it likely that the Diva would appear as some light-
skirted Flora, or high-kirtled Diana, were altogether disappointed.
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