"Well, we may as well begin at once; I will go and tell the Contessa
Violante that we are ready," said Ludovico, moving off.
It was a matter of course, that he should open the ball with the
Contessa Violante,--not only by reason of her social standing in the
city, but because of the position in which he was understood to
stand towards her.
Violante was sitting at the upper end of the room between her great-
aunt and the sister of the Marchese Lamberto, Ludovico's mother. She
was very handsomely dressed in plain white silk, but was looking
pale and dispirited. When Ludovico came up and offered his arm,
bowing low as he did so, she rose and accepted it without speaking.
"I had almost made up my mind," she said as soon as they had moved a
pace or two towards the middle of the large ball-room, "not to dance
at all to-night: I am not well."
"Oh, Signorina, how unfortunate! What a disappointment! But it would
be cruel to force you to dance, when it is against your
inclination," said Ludovico, with a very unsuccessful attempt to put
a tone of tenderness into his voice.
"I will not do so, after this dance," said Violante; "but I suppose
we must dance the first dance together!"
"I am sorry it should be a matter of such disagreeable duty to you,
Signora Violante," said Ludovico in a tone of pretended pique.
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