" If the old man had not been a little bit
out of humour with his adopted daughter he would probably have found
some excuse for getting rid of the inopportune visitor.
"Pray let the Signor Marchese come in," returned Bianca, turning
back from the door of her bed-room, rather to the surprise of Signor
Quinto;--and Ludovico passed on into the sitting-room as the old man
went out and shut the outer door behind him.
Bianca, as she had said, had been about to dress to receive the
Marchese Lamberto; and Ludovico thus caught her (really. surprised
this time) in her morning toilette. But there was nothing in her
dress to prevent her from being with propriety presentable, or,
indeed, to prevent her from looking very charming in her dishabille.
Nevertheless, she did not intend, as we have seen, to present
herself without further adornment to the Marchese Lamberto; and it
was not without a certain feeling of bitterness at her heart that
she said to herself, "What does it signify?" as she cast a glance at
her looking-glass before stepping back into the sitting-room to
receive her visitor.
"Really, Signora, I don't know how to apologize sufficiently for
thus breaking in upon you," said Ludovico, coming forward to meet
her; "but I could not refrain from calling to say one word of
congratulation. Can you forgive me?"
"I hardly know whether I can," said Bianca, half pouting and half
laughing, and looking wholly beautiful; "to be seen when they are
not fit to be seen is an offence which we others, women, find it
difficult to forgive, you know.
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