"
"The Conte Leandro--out of the Porta Nuova--at such an hour in the
morning. For what possible purpose?"
"Ay, that is the question. For what possible purpose? But the fact
is certain. Though endeavouring to conceal himself by means of his
cloak, he was perfectly well recognized by the men at the gate. For
what possible purpose? No doubt you know, Signor Barone, much better
than I, who am not much in the way of hearing of such things--unless
in cases where I make it my business to hear of them, you
understand, Signor Barone,--you, no doubt, know that the Signor
Conte has been besieging, as I may say, this poor Lalli woman with
his attentions and verses ever since she came here; also, that the
lady would have nothing to say to him or to his verses--that she
has, in short, snubbed him and mortified his vanity in the sight of
all the town during the whole of the past Carnival."
"That is true--it is all true," cried Manutoli, eagerly, and looking
almost scared by the ideas the lawyer was presenting to his mind.
"It is even truer, than you, perhaps, are aware of. She said
sneering and cutting things of him in his hearing both at the
Marchese Lamberto's ball and at the Circolo ball; I happen to know
it."
"Hey--y--y--y?" said the lawyer, uttering a sound like a long sigh,
with a question stop at the end of it; and then thrusting out his
lips and nodding his head up and down slowly while he plunged his
hands into the pockets of his trowsers.
Pages:
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526