" The English traveller had brought
from Rome a letter of introduction to the Marchese, and had received
from him, during his short stay at Ravenna, all that courteous
attention and friendly interest in his artistic researches which
Englishmen are always sure to meet with in the smaller cities of
Italy, even in yet larger measure than in the larger capitals, where
strangers of all sorts are more abundant.
Thus equipped and provided, Paolina Foscarelli, accompanied by
Signora Orsola Steno, had arrived in Ravenna in the March of the
same year, in the November of which Signor Ercole Stadione had made
his journey to Milan.
CHAPTER V
Rivalry
The first care of the two Venetian women, on arriving in their new
place of abode, which seemed to them almost as much a foreign
country as Pekin might seem to an Englishman, was, of course, to
present their letter of introduction to the powerful and illustrious
protector to whom they were recommended. But there had, thereupon,
arisen a difference of opinion between the older and the younger
lady. Old Orsola Steno, acting on the wisdom which certain
observations of life picked up in her sixty years of passage through
it had probably taught her, was strongly of opinion that the
important letter should be presented to the Marchese by Paolina in
person,--or if not that, by both of them together.
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