Though she bore his name, the fact was that the old man
was in no way related to the famous singer. But they had lived
together in the relationship first of teacher and pupil, and then of
father and daughter, by mutual adoption ever since the first
beginning of the singer's public career; and they mutually
represented to each other the only family ties which either of them
knew or recognized in the world. The old man had been several hours
in bed, when Bianca had returned from the ball, at about five in the
morning of that Ash Wednesday. And it was not till he came from his
room, between eight and nine, that he heard from Gigia, Bianca's
maid, that her mistress had not gone to bed, but had only changed
her dress, and taken a cup of coffee before going out with the
Marchese Ludovico more than an hour ago in a bagarino.
There was nothing sufficiently strange to the former habits of his
adopted daughter in such an escapade, or so unlike to many another
frolic of the brilliant Diva in former days, as to cause any very
great surprise to the old singing-master--for such had been the
original vocation of Signor Lalli. Yet he seemed on this occasion to
be not a little annoyed at what she had done.
"And a very great fool she is for her pains," cried the old man,
with an oath; "it is just the last thing she ought to have done--the
very last.
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