He belongs to his Venetian, body and soul: and he has
enough to think of, poor boy, in scheming to get out of the marriage
they have planned for him."
"What! he wants to marry the Venetian, does he?" asked Quinto.
"Yes; they have engaged themselves to each other; she would not hear
of anything else."
"Lord bless me! how moral and respectable the world is growing. I
suppose Cupid himself will be attended by a gentleman in cassock and
bands before long, and Mars will make Venus an honest woman, as the
phrase goes. Well, I am not sorry I had my day in the old time. It
would be rare fun, though, if these grand Signori, the uncle and the
nephew, were both to be hooked in the same fashion at the same
time."
"There is nothing against the character of the Venetian of any
sort," said Bianca, with a sigh.
"Ta, ta, ta! I'd back your chance of the uncle against her chance of
the nephew, any day of the week."
"Ludovico is solemnly engaged to her."
"I'd hold to my bet, all the same for that; and now let's get to
bed, you have to sing to-morrow night."
"Yes, and I'm regularly tired out; good-night."
The Marchese Lamberto was probably hardly less in need of rest, when
he reached the Palazzo Castelmare. But he did not equally feel that
it was within his reach. He shut himself into his room; and throwing
himself into an easy chair, with one hand pressed to his fevered
brow, strove to think; set himself to think out the possibilities of
the present, and the prospects of the future, as far as the blinding
volcano bursts of passion, which ever and anon threatened to sweep
all power of thought away, would permit him to do so.
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