And Signora Orsola was fain to take the porter's advice, so far as
returning to her home went. But it was not equally easy to give
herself no further trouble about Paolina. It might be as the porter
said; and if she could have been sure that it was so the old lady
would have been perfectly easy. But it was not at all like Paolina
to have planned such an escapade without telling her old friend
anything about it. She felt sure that when Paolina said she was
going to St. Apollinare to look after the preparations for her
copying there, she had no other or further intention in her
thoughts. To be sure there was the possibility that Ludovico might
have known her purpose of going thither, and might have planned to
accompany her on her expedition, without having apprized her of any
such scheme. And it might not be unlikely that in such a case they
had been tempted to spend a few hours in the Pineta. And with these
possibilities Signora Steno was obliged to tranquillize herself as
she best might.
She returned home not without some hope that she might find that
Paolina had returned during her absence; but such was not the case--
Paolina was still absent. And though it was now some eight or nine
hours from the time she had left home, old Orsola had nothing for it
but to wait for tidings of her as patiently as she could.
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