During all these days his condition was truly deplorable. He had
never, in all this time, left the Palazzo, and had scarcely left his
own chamber. He absolutely refused to see anybody save Signor
Fortini. He could not sleep by night, or remain at rest in the same
place for half-an-hour together during the day.
Of course he could attend to none of the numerous duties--mostly
labours of benevolence--that usually occupied his time. His servants
thought that he was losing his reason; yet, in the midst of all the
terrible distress that was weighing him down, the usual kindness and
considerate benevolence of his nature and habitual conduct had shone
out. The only one thing that he had given any attention to was the
gratification of the wishes, and the promotion of the welfare, of an
old servant.
Niccolo, the old groom who was mentioned, as the reader may,
perhaps, remember, on the occasion of a certain conversation which
Lawyer Fortini had with him, as having been all his life in the
service of the Marchese, and of his father before him, was getting,
as he had himself remarked to the lawyer, almost too old for his
work. He had always hitherto absolutely refused, with the masterful
obstinacy of an old favourite, all proposals of retirement; but, on
the next morning but one after the fatal Ash Wednesday, while the
Marchese had been in such a state of painful agitation that he could
hardly bear to be addressed by his own servant, he had, to the great
surprise of all the household, sent for old Niccolo, who had
remained with him more than an hour.
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