Volume I Part 34 (1/2)
”Reverend sir, I aed to believe you”
”You are a fool”
”I ao to some other inn”
Such an answer, coupled to a most unexpected notice to quit, threw , when suddenly a grave-looking individual made his appearance inforin expecting the landlord to believe you on your bare word; and if you have obtained the per it at your age; you have been wrong in not asking for such per the host a fool, because it is a compliment that no man is likely to accept in his own house; and, finally, you are wrong inmy bad temper, this individual, who had entered h
”I willingly plead guilty, sir,” I answered, ”to all the counts which you allege against ry, and therefore you will easily understand that I do not feel disposed to change ive me some supper, as the landlord refuses to do so?”
”No,” he replied, with great coood Catholic and fast But I will undertake to ive you a good supper”
Thereupon he went downstairs, and I, coed the ain, inforned, and that I would be served immediately
”Will you not take supper with me?”
”No, but I will keep you company”
I accepted his offer, and to learn who he was, I told hi myself the title of secretary to Cardinal Acquaviva
”My name is Sancio Pico,” he said; ”I am a Castilian, and the 'proveditore' of the ares under the orders of the generalissimo, the Duke of Modem”
My excellent appetite astonished him, and he enquired whether I had dined ”No,” said I; and I saw his countenance assume an air of satisfaction
”Are you not afraid such a supper will hurt you?” he said
”On the contrary, I hope it will do ood”
”Then you have deceived the Pope?”
”No, for I did not tell him that I had no appetite, but only that I liked meat better than fish”
”If you feel disposed to hear soood music,” he said a moment after, ”follow me to the next room; the prima donna of Ancona lives there”
The words prima donna interestedbefore a table, a woirls and two boys, but I looked in vain for the actress, whom Don Sancio Pico at last presented to me in the shape of one of the two boys, as reht he was a 'castrato' who, as is the custom in Rome, performed all the parts of a prima donna The ood-looking, but er His na up the transformations of the family, he was the first feirl, as also introduced to me, was named Cecilia, and studied est, called Marina, was only eleven, and like her brother Petronio was consecrated to the worshi+p of Terpsichore Both the girls were very pretty
The fana and lived upon the talent of its members; cheerfulness and amiability replaced wealth with the to the entreaties of Don Sancio, rose fro with the voice of an angel and with delightful grace The Castilian listened with his eyes closed in an ecstasy of enjoyazed into Bellino's, which sees upon me I could discover in hiracefulbetrayed a beautiful woman, for his dress concealed but imperfectly the most splendid boso been introduced as a uised beauty, and, ht, I becahly enamoured
We spent two very pleasant hours, and I returned to my room accompanied by the Castilian ”I intend to leave very early to-lia, with the Abbe Vilmarcati, but I expect to return for supper the day after to- that ould most 'likely meet on the road, as I should probably leave Anconaa visit toof Bellino and of the io aithout having proved to hily, I ell pleased to see hi as soon as I had openedbrother Petronio duringa valet de place I willingly agreed to the proposal, and sent Petronio to get coffee for all the family
I asked Bellino to sit onlove to hi sisters ran into my room and disturbed ht; they represented natural beauty and artless cheerfulness of three different kinds; unobtrusive fa playfulness, and pretty Bolognese manners which I witnessed for the first time; all this would have sufficed to cheer me if I had been downcast Cecilia and Marina were teet rosebuds, which, to bloom in all their beauty, required only the inspiration of love, and they would certainly have had the preference over Bellino if I had seen in him only the miserable outcast of mankind, or rather the pitiful victim of sacerdotal cruelty, for, in spite of their youth, the two ae of womanhood