The family was not a rich
one, but the Cardinal had worn the purple many years. He had held
very lucrative offices in the Apostolic Court previously, and had
doubtless amassed very considerable wealth, and the Lady Violante
was his only heiress. Besides that, of course the position of her
great-uncle as Legate rendered her all that was desirable as a match
for the noblest of the province--not to mention other grander
possibilities in the background. The reigning Pontiff was a very
aged man. The Cardinal di Marliani was thought to stand very well at
Rome. Who knew what might happen? It would have been too monstrous
if the hope of such a marriage as this were to be endangered by a
silly fancy for the pretty face and slim figure of a little artist.
The Marchese Lamberto had felt his position to be a difficult one.
He really did not know what line it would be wisest to take.
Ludovico had spoken among his associates at the Circolo in a manner
which had effectually silenced all light allusion to the ladies in
the Strada di Santa Eufemia. He could not speak exactly in the same
tone to his uncle; but the hints that the Marchese Lamberto had from
time to time thrown out to the effect that, under the circumstances
of the case, he did not approve of his nephew's intimacy with the
Signorina, Paolina Foscarelli, had been received in a manner by the
younger man which had warned the elder that some caution was
required in the task of guiding his nephew in this matter.
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