Do so; you understand! That's all."
"Perfectly, uncle! Lasci fare a me! I'll see to it; though I confess
I do not quite understand why we need trouble ourselves about any
such gossip," said Ludovico, delighted to be able to fall in with
his uncle's wishes in something.
"Well, I should have thought that you might understand. In the first
place I don't want it to be said or imagined, either here or
elsewhere, that Ravenna has taken up with a singer, who could not
get an engagement elsewhere. Not that that is the case by any means.
But don't you see, if it is said that she was obliged to leave
Milan, it puts us in the position of a pis aller! And I don't like
that. In the next place, I don't want to have light talk about a
person whom I have had so large a share in bringing to the city.
These are things you ought to learn to think of, caro mio!" replied
the Marchese, a little annoyed at having to put his feelings on the
subject into such plain words.
"I'll take care that things shall be as you wish. When is she to
arrive?" asked Ludovico.
"About the end of the year--in a month's time or thereabouts.
Stadione did not mention whether the day of her coming had been
fixed. Her first appearance will be on the night of the Beffana, the
6th of January."
"Because they were talking at the Circolo of getting up some little
matter of welcome,--taking the horses from her carriage, and drawing
her in, or some thing of that kind, and a serenata of course.
Pages:
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192