Volume IV Part 96 (2/2)
I had already thought of Zenobia in connection with the poor girl's lodging, and I went to see her on the spot In her husband's presence I told her what I wanted, and asked if she could find a corner for my new friend
”She shall have my place,” cried the worthy tailor, ”if she won'twith my wife I will hire a s lady stays”
”That's a good idea, gossip, but your ill lose by the exchange”
”Not
”As for her e that herself”
”That's a very siet theirl a short note, telling her of the arrangeed Zenobia to take her the letter The next day I found her in the poor lodging with these worthy folks, looking pleased and ravishi+ngly pretty I felt that I could behave well for the present, but I sighed at the thought of the journey I should have to put a strong restraint onmore to do at Milan, but the count had elo This was an estate belonging to him, fifteen miles from Milan, and the count spokeSt Angelo, he would have been exceedingly mortified A married brother of his lived there, and the count often said that his brother was longing to know me When we returned he would no doubt let ratitude to the worthy man for his hospitality, so on the fourth day of Lent I took leave of Therese, Greppi, and the affectionate marchioness, for teeks, and we set out on our way
To ht the countess did not care to co in Milan with Triulzi, who did not let her lack for anything
We got to St Angelo at three o'clock, and found that ere expected to dinner
CHAPTER XXI
An Ancient Castle--Clementine--The Fair Penitent--Lodi-- A Mutual Passion
The elo is a vast and ancient building, dating back at least eight centuries, but devoid of regularity, and not indicating the date of its erection by the style of its architecture The ground floor consists of innue and lofty apartments, and an immense hall The walls, which are full of chinks and crannies, are of that immense thickness which proves that our ancestors built for their remote descendants, and not in our lish style, that is, barely for one generation The stone stairs had been trodden by soup or down The floor was all of bricks, and as it had been renewed at various epochs with bricks of divers colours it formed a kind of mosaic, not very pleasant to look upon The ere of a piece with the rest; they had no glass in theiven way they were always open; shutters were utterly unknown there Happily the want of glass was not enial clis were conspicuous by their absence, but there were heavy beaht ornament was supplied by the nureat Gothic palace--for palace it was rather than castle, for it had no towers or other attributes of feudalisateway--in this palace, I say, the lories of the Counts A---- B----, which they loved better than the finest modern house, there were three sets of rooms better kept than the rest Here dwelt the masters, of whom there were three; the Count A---- B----, my friend, Count Ambrose, who always lived there, and a third, an officer in the Spanish Walloon Guards
I occupied the apartment of the last named But I must describe the welcoate of the castle as if I had been soh and puissant prince The door stood wide open on both sides, but I did not take too much pride to myself on this account, as they were so old that it was impossible to shut them
The noble count who held his cap in his hand, and was decently but negligently dressed, though he was only forty years old, toldto bring me here to see their miserable place, where I should find none of those luxuries to which I had been accustoood old-fashi+oned Milanese welcome instead This is a phrase of which the Milanese are very fond, but as they put it into practice it becoenerally most worthy and hospitable people, and contrast favourably with the Piedmontese and Genoese
The worthy Ambrose introduced me to his countess and his two sisters-in-law, one of as an exquisite beauty, rather deficient in manner, but this was no doubt due to the fact that they saw no polished cohly ordinary woly, of a type which is plentiful all the world over The countess looked like a Madonna; her features had sonity and openness She came from Lodi, and had only been , very noble, and very poor While ere at dinner Count Ambrose told ht oodness than riches
”She ht htwe don't possess as a superfluity”
”There, indeed,” said I, ”you have the true philosophy of an honest hted at her husband's praise and ly at him, and took a pretty baby from the nurse's are of a nursing ainstthe helpless, arouses no other feelings than those of respect I confess, however, that the sight ht have produced a tenderer sentiment in me; it was exquisitely beautiful, and I am sure that if Raphael had beheld it his Madonna would have been still more lovely
The dinner was excellent, with the exception of the made dishes, which were detestable Soup, beef, fresh salted pork, sausages, ame, mascarpon cheese, preserved fruits--all were delicious; but the count having told his brother that I was a great gourive ined I had to taste them, out of politeness; but I made up my mind that I would do so no more
After dinner I took my host apart, and spewed him that with ten plain courses his table would be delicate and excellent, and that he had no need of introducing any ragouts From that time I had a choice dinner every day
There were six of us at table, and we all talked and laughed with the exception of the fair Cle countess who had already ed to do so, and her words were always acco a sight of her beautiful eyes, I asked her a good ht Ito become better acquainted with her