The old Marchesa Lanfredi, who took the young Contessa under her
roof, and under her care, was not a bad sort of woman in the main;
but she was thoroughly and consistently worldly, and judged
everything from a worldly point of view. The Contessa Marliani was
an important little lady in her eyes; and was treated, by her with
an indulgence and consideration which she would have considered out
of place in the case of a child not born to such expectations and
such a destiny. She was not contented with her young relative; but
was more perplexed and puzzled by her than angered. And as Violante
grew towards womanhood, her great-aunt understood her less and less.
In the first place, she had a much stronger tendency towards
devotion than the Marchese Lanfredi thought either natural or
becoming in a young woman. Of course it was right and proper to pay
due attention to one's religious duties; there was no necessity to
tell her, a Cardinal Archbishop's sister, that, it was to be
supposed. But she had a strong objection to excess in such matters.
And to her mind Violante carried her devotional practices, and yet
more her devotional ideas, to excess. Of the latter, indeed, the old
Marchesa Lanfredi disapproved altogether. Young people had no ideas
upon the subject in her time;--and the world was certainly a better
world then than it had been since.
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