第3章

Wekeptnocompany。ItooklabellatotheDuomoandAnnunciata，totheCafe，totheOpera，tothevillageFesta，tothePublicGarden，totheDayTheatre，totheMarionetti。Theprettylittleonewascharmedwithallshesaw。ShelearntItalian-heavens！

miraculously！Wasmistressquiteforgetfulofthatdream？IaskedCarolinasometimes。Nearly，saidlabella-almost。Itwaswearingout。

Onedaymasterreceivedaletter，andcalledme。

"Baptista！"

"Signore！"

"Agentlemanwhoispresentedtomewilldinehereto-day。HeiscalledtheSignorDellombra。Letmedinelikeaprince。"

Itwasanoddname。Ididnotknowthatname。But，therehadbeenmanynoblemenandgentlemenpursuedbyAustriaonpoliticalsuspicions，lately，andsomenameshadchanged。Perhapsthiswasone。Altro！Dellombrawasasgoodanametomeasanother。

WhentheSignorDellombracametodinner（saidtheGenoesecourierinthelowvoice，intowhichhehadsubsidedoncebefore），Ishowedhimintothereception-room，thegreatsalaoftheoldpalazzo。

Masterreceivedhimwithcordiality，andpresentedhimtomistress。

Assherose，herfacechanged，shegaveacry，andfelluponthemarblefloor。

Then，IturnedmyheadtotheSignorDellombra，andsawthathewasdressedinblack，andhadareservedandsecretair，andwasadark，remarkable-lookingman，withblackhairandagreymoustache。

Masterraisedmistressinhisarms，andcarriedhertoherownroom，whereIsentlabellaCarolinastraight。Labellatoldmeafterwardsthatmistresswasnearlyterrifiedtodeath，andthatshewanderedinhermindaboutherdream，allnight。

Masterwasvexedandanxious-almostangry，andyetfullofsolicitude。TheSignorDellombrawasacourtlygentleman，andspokewithgreatrespectandsympathyofmistress"sbeingsoill。

TheAfricanwindhadbeenblowingforsomedays（theyhadtoldhimathishoteloftheMalteseCross），andheknewthatitwasoftenhurtful。Hehopedthebeautifulladywouldrecoversoon。Hebeggedpermissiontoretire，andtorenewhisvisitwhenheshouldhavethehappinessofhearingthatshewasbetter。Masterwouldnotallowofthis，andtheydinedalone。

Hewithdrewearly。Nextdayhecalledatthegate，onhorse-back，toinquireformistress。Hedidsotwoorthreetimesinthatweek。

WhatIobservedmyself，andwhatlabellaCarolinatoldme，unitedtoexplaintomethatmasterhadnowsethismindoncuringmistressofherfancifulterror。Hewasallkindness，buthewassensibleandfirm。Hereasonedwithher，thattoencouragesuchfancieswastoinvitemelancholy，ifnotmadness。Thatitrestedwithherselftobeherself。Thatifsheonceresistedherstrangeweakness，sosuccessfullyastoreceivetheSignorDellombraasanEnglishladywouldreceiveanyotherguest，itwasforeverconquered。Tomakeanend，thesignorecameagain，andmistressreceivedhimwithoutmarkeddistress（thoughwithconstraintandapprehensionstill），andtheeveningpassedserenely。Masterwassodelightedwiththischange，andsoanxioustoconfirmit，thattheSignorDellombrabecameaconstantguest。Hewasaccomplishedinpictures，books，andmusic；andhissociety，inanygrimpalazzo，wouldhavebeenwelcome。

Iusedtonotice，manytimes，thatmistresswasnotquiterecovered。Shewouldcastdownhereyesanddroopherhead，beforetheSignorDellombra，orwouldlookathimwithaterrifiedandfascinatedglance，asifhispresencehadsomeevilinfluenceorpoweruponher。Turningfromhertohim，Iusedtoseehimintheshadedgardens，orthelargehalf-lightedsala，looking，asImightsay，"fixedlyuponheroutofdarkness。"But，truly，IhadnotforgottenlabellaCarolina"swordsdescribingthefaceinthedream。

AfterhissecondvisitIheardmastersay:

"Now，see，mydearClara，it"sover！Dellombrahascomeandgone，andyourapprehensionisbrokenlikeglass。"

"Willhe-willheevercomeagain？"askedmistress。

"Again？Why，surely，overandoveragain！Areyoucold？"（sheshivered）。

"No，dear-but-heterrifiesme:areyousurethatheneedcomeagain？"

"Thesurerforthequestion，Clara！"repliedmaster，cheerfully。

But，hewasveryhopefulofhercompleterecoverynow，andgrewmoreandmoresoeveryday。Shewasbeautiful。Hewashappy。

"Allgoeswell，Baptista？"hewouldsaytomeagain。

"Yes，signore，thankGod；verywell。"

Wewereall（saidtheGenoesecourier，constraininghimselftospeakalittlelouder），wewereallatRomefortheCarnival。I

hadbeenout，allday，withaSicilian，afriendofmine，andacourier，whowastherewithanEnglishfamily。AsIreturnedatnighttoourhotel，ImetthelittleCarolina，whoneverstirredfromhomealone，runningdistractedlyalongtheCorso。