The demands made by society upon its members in general in the clime
and time in question were not of a very exacting nature; and the
expectations of society in this respect from a person in Bianca's
position were more moderate still. Nor were the precepts, counsels,
example, or wisdom of her protector at all calculated to guide the
beautiful singer scatheless through the dangers and difficulties
incidental to her position.
In short, for nine years Bianca had worked hard--had earned a great
deal of money, and had spent it all (except what Lalli had spent for
her) in dissipation, the sharers in which had been chosen by the
beautiful actress--as kissing goes--by favour, and not with any view
to their ability to pay the cost.
And now La Lalli had reached her twenty-seventh year; and was very
nearly as poor as when she began her career. And certain small
warnings, unimportant as yet, and wholly unsuspected, save by
herself and old Quinto, had begun to suggest to her the expediency
of thinking a little for the future. She and Quinto Lalli had had a
very serious conversation on the subject just before the
commencement of that season at Milan, which, as has been hinted, had
ended somewhat disagreeably for the charming singer.
The real truth of the matter was that the difficulty in question had
arisen not from any tendency in the lady to behave in the Lombard
capital with more reprehensible levity than, it must unfortunately
be admitted, she had been very well known to have behaved in other
places and on other occasions; but from a change in her manners in a
diametrically opposite direction.
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