But chance--or, what for want of a better designation, we are in the
habit of so calling--had decreed that Signora Orsola should not be
delivered from her suspense so quickly.
On turning into the shady promenade under the city walls, a little
before reaching the Porta Nuova, Paolina had strolled onwards,
before sitting down on one of the benches that tempted her after her
walk, till she fancied that it would be shorter for her to reach the
Via di Santa Eufemia by another gate, which gave admission to the
city at the other end of the promenade, instead of by turning back
to the Porta Nuova. And thus, though she had in truth returned to
the city, the men at that gate were quite right in their statement
that she had not returned by the way they guarded.
The road, however, by which Paolina proposed to return to her home
led her past the residence of the Cardinal, and, as she passed, it
occurred to her that it would be well, and save another walk, to
look in at the chapel and put together the things she had left in it
on finishing her task there, so that they might be ready for a
porter to bring away when she should send for them.
For this purpose she ascended the great staircase of the Cardinal's
palace, and was at once admitted to pass on into the chapel, as a
matter of course, by the servants, who had become quite used to her
visits there; and, from this point forwards, the accuracy of her
statements was easily proved by other testimony besides her own.
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