Leandro is busy already with a poem for the occasion, you may
swear!"
"Bravo! bene! If only our good friend the Conte keeps his muse
within tolerable limits! It would not do to quite smother her in
verse on her first arrival; and, you know, our good Leandro has
rather a special gift that way. Well, get up any kind of
dimostrasione you like for the occasion,--it will all help to give
eclat to our opening. You can arrange all about the when, and the
where, etc., with Stadione. We are going to have a meeting of the
Belle Arte Committee here this morning. They'll be here directly!"
said the Marchese Lamberto, pulling out his watch.
"One word more, uncle, before I'm off," said Ludovico.
"What is it?--money, I suppose?" said the Marchese, again taking out
his watch.
"No, sir; not money this time,--unless, indeed, you insist on it,"
said the nephew, laughing.
"Not at all, not at all! I won't press it on you by any means!" said
the uncle in a similar tone; "but what were you going to say?"
"Why, with reference to what you were saying just now, about the
Signorina Foscarelli," replied Ludovico, in quite a different tone.
"I am always anxious to shape my conduct in accordance with your
advice, uncle. You see La Foscarelli has all but finished her work
at St. Vitale, you know: she is to do her copying in the Cardinal's
Palace next, for you have kindly arranged for her permission to do
so.
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