human
Well, bambina mia,--my baby, for so the old man often called her,
gpt
Eh, papa mio, che volete? I have seen only a bit of it. It is rather early to judge yet,
human
Not too early for your quickness, bambina mia. Besides, you may be sure you have seen most of what you are likely to see, and what it most concerns you to see. The Cardinal Legate was not likely to come out to meet you, I suppose; nor does it much matter to you to see his Eminence.
gpt
Well, what I have seen, I like. As for the theatre, that Marchese Lamberto, whom you saw, knows what singing is as well as you do. I shall please him on the stage; and, if so, as I see very well, I shall please all the rest of Ravenna. But--
human
But what? There is always a 'but.' What is it this time?
gpt
As if you did not know as well as I! said Bianca, with a little toss.
human
Is what I can do on the theatre of Ravenna the thing that is most in my thoughts?
gpt
said Quinto.
human
I spoke of it merely with reference to that man, the Marchese Lamberto di Castelmare. He is one of the first, if not the very first, man in the city; and everybody is cap in hand before him. Evidently a rich man.
gpt
And he is a musician, you say?
human
Fanatico! But what matters that; except, indeed, as a stepping-stone? What has music done for me? The Marchese Lamberto is a bachelor, Quinto.
gpt
Ha! what, the old man?
human
Yes, the old man, as you call him. Not so old but he might be your son, friend Quinto. But there is the young man, the Marchese Ludovico, whom you also saw, when they met us on the road. He is the nephew and heir to the other--a bachelor too--and as pretty a fellow as one would wish to see into the bargain; a charming fellow.
gpt
So was the Duca di Lodi at Milan, said the old man, quietly;
human
Yes! I don't need to ask the meaning of your 'but.' We know all about that; but what is the good of going back upon it?
gpt
Only for the sake of the light past mistakes may throw on future hopes,
human
Bah-mistakes--what mistake? There was no mistake, but for that infamous old wretch of a governor,
gpt
Yes! I know. May the devil give him his due! But, bambina mia, there are wretches of governors here too, it is to be feared, no less infamous.
human
What do you mean? What did we come here then for?
gpt
In the first place, cara mia, because it was necessary to go somewhere; and, in the second place, because I should be very much at a loss to name any place where the governors are not infamous wretches, every whit as bad as at Milan. 'Tis the way of them, my poor child. But you see, Bianca dear, to return to what we were saying, there was a little mistake at Milan. The Duca di Lodi did not go off into the country, and leave you plantee la, to please himself.
human
Who ever thought he did? No, poor fellow, he was right enough. But what was the mistake, I want to know?
gpt
You could bring no influence to bear, except upon himself, you know.
human
Of course not. How should I? E poi?
gpt
And he could not do as he pleased, said Quinto, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
human
That was the mistake, cara mia, to endeavour to bring about an object, by influencing some one who had no power to act for themselves in the matter.
gpt
A very pleasant Job's comforter you are to-night, Quinto. I don't know what you are driving at?
human
Only this, my precious child. I was set thinking of the mistake at Milan by what you said of these two men, the uncle and nephew. Has it not come into your clever head, mia bella, that we might find here the means of avoiding a repetition of that error?
gpt
Ah--h! Now I see what you are at. The uncle--hum--m--m,
human
And why not the uncle, bambina mia? I am sure the few words you have said about him are sufficient to point out that an alliance with the Marchese di Castelmare would be an advantageous one for any lady in the land,
gpt
I won't deny, papa mio, that, being humble as becomes my station, replied Bianca, in the same tone,
human
I should be perfectly contented with the style and title of Marchesa di Castelmare. But what reason have we for thinking that there would be any less difficulty in becoming such than in becoming Duchessa di Lodi? That, between ourselves, is the question.
gpt
And what difficulty lay in the way of becoming Duchessa di Lodi? Certainly none that arose from the Signor Duca. Governors and fathers, and uncles and aunts, and police commissaries, and the devil knows what, all interfered to keep two young hearts asunder, and spoil the game. And why did they interfere?--the devil have them all in his keeping! Because all the world agrees to believe that such springalds as the Duca di Lodi can't take care of themselves. Because it is considered that the titles and acres of such, if not their persons, should be protected against--against the impulses of their warm hearts, shall we say? Now, do you think that the world would consider any such protection necessary in the case of the Marchese Lamberto? Would any governors, or fathers, or uncles, or aunts, or commissaries, interfere to prevent him from doing as he pleased in such a matter?
human
No, I suppose not! replied Bianca, thoughtfully;
gpt
Ha, ha, ha! laughed old Quinto Lalli with a quiet, almost noiseless laugh;
human
I don't know that, I have not seen enough to be sure about that yet. That young fellow, the Marchese Ludovico, does not look to me a likely sort of man to stand by quietly and see himself cut out of houses and lands! And besides,--it strikes me--
gpt
Speak out your thought, bambina mia; I am sure it is one worth hearing. And between us, you know--
human
Well, between ourselves then, continued Bianca; while a smile, half of mockery and half of pleasure, writhed her lips into changing outlines, each more bewitchingly pretty than the other, and her eyes were turned away from Quinto to a contemplation of the slender dainty foot peeping out from beneath her dress, as she lay on the sofa;
gpt
Ha, I see, I see; nothing more likely! Per Dio, bambina mia, you lose no time! Brava la Bianca! And perhaps I may conclude, from one or two small observations that I have been able to make myself, you would prefer to win on the nephew! Eh, cara mia
human
Pshaw! cried Bianca, with a toss of her auburn ringlets, and a shrug of her beautiful shoulders;
gpt
I must do my duty in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call me,--as the nuns at St. Agata taught me. But between uncles and nephews, I suppose any girl would say, nephews for choice!
human
But you see, my child, the devil of it is that it would be the Milan story over again. You would have all the family to fight against. A Cardinal Legate can be quite as despotic, and disagreeable, and tyrannical as an Austrian governor. You may be very sure that these people have some marriage in view for this young Marchese, the hope of the family! We know that the Marchese Lamberto is hand and glove with the Cardinal. And there would be an exit from Ravenna after the same fashion as our last!
gpt
I know for certain already, that there is a marriage arranged between the young Marchese and no less a personage than the niece of the Cardinal Legate himself,
human
Well then; that is not very promising ground to build on, is it, bambina mia!
gpt
It may be, that as far as the man himself is concerned, the match that has been made for him would be rather the reverse of a difficulty in the way,
human
But the difficulty will not come from the man himself, cara mia! It would be doing you wrong to suppose that to be at all likely. I don't suppose it; but--do you imagine that the Cardinal Legate will permit you to snatch his niece's proposed husband from out of her mouth! It would be a worse job than the other,
gpt
So that you are all for the uncle, papa mio?
human
Well, I confess it seems to my poor judgment the better scheme, and indeed a very promising scheme. Depend upon it, my child, an old man, who is his own master, is the better and safer game,
gpt
Very well! Have at the old man then, as you call him; though, as I have told you, Quinto, he is not an old man--not over forty-five I should say; at all events the right side of fifty, I'd wager anything! But I tell you fairly, that a less promising subject I never saw. A man, who has lived till that age a bachelor, though the head of his family,--and a bachelor of the out-and-out moral and respectable sort, mind you,--the great friend of the Cardinal; trustee to nunneries, and all that sort of thing!--a man who looks at you and speaks to you as if he was a master of ceremonies presenting a Duchess to a Queen,--a man, I should say, who had never cared for a woman in his life, and was very unlikely to begin to do so now,
human
Bambina mia, replied Quinto,
gpt
Well, I suppose you are right, Quinto. And I suppose that that is what it must be!--But--well! it is time to be going to bed, I suppose; I am tired and sleepy!
human
Armed at All Points