Part 13 (1/2)
”Of course; and you haven't discovered that his family is a family of a.s.sa.s.sins? How Spanis.h.!.+ What a savage Spaniard I have for a brother!”
Caesar burst into laughter, and taking advantage of the moment when everybody was going to the buffet, left the room. In the corridor, one of the San Martino girls, the more sweet and angelic of the two, was in a corner with one of the dancers, and there was a sound like a kiss.
The little blonde made an exclamation of fright; Caesar behaved as if he had noticed nothing and kept on his way.
”The devil!” exclaimed Caesar, ”that angelic little princess hides in corners with one of these _briganti_. And their mother has the face to say that they don't know how to bait a hook! I don't know what more she could wish. Although it is possible that this is the educational scheme of the future for marriageable girls.”
In the entrance-hall of the hotel were the Marchesa Sciacca's two children, attended by a sleeping maid; the little girl, seated on a sofa, was watching her brother, who walked from one side to the other with a roll of paper in his hand. In the entrance hall, opposite the hotel door, there was a bulletin, which was changed every day, to announce the different performances that were to be given that night at the theatres of Rome.
The small boy walked back and forth in front of the poster, and addressing himself to a public consisting of the sleeping maid and the little girl, cried:
”Step up, gentlemen! Step up! Now is the time. We are about to perform _La Geisha_, the magnificent English operetta. Walk right in! Walk right in!”
While the mother was dancing with the Neapolitan in the ball-room, the children were amusing themselves thus alone.
”The truth is that our civilization is an absurdity. Even the children go mad,” thought Caesar, and took refuge in his room.
During the whole night he heard from his bed the notes of the waltzes and two-steps, and dancers' laughter and shouts and shuffling feet.
_THEY ARE JUST CHILDREN_
The next day, Laura, before going out to make a call, appeared at lunch-time most elegantly dressed, with a gown and a hat from Paris, in which she was truly most charming.
She had a great success: the San Martinos, the Countess Brenda, the other ladies congratulated her. The hat, above all, seemed ideal to them.
Carminatti was in raptures.
”_E bello, bellissimo_,” he said, with great enthusiasm, and all the ladies agreed that it was _bellissimo_, lengthening the ”s” and nodding their heads with a gesture of admiration.
”And you don't say anything to me, _bambino_?” Laura inquired of Caesar.
”I say you are all right.”
”And nothing more?”
”If you want me to pay you a compliment, I will tell you that you are pretty enough to make incest legitimate.” ”What a barbarian!” murmured Laura, half laughing, half blus.h.i.+ng.
”What has he been saying to you?” two or three people inquired.
Laura translated his words into Italian, and Carminatti found them admirable.
”Very appropriate! Very witty!” he exclaimed, laughing, and gave Caesar a friendly slap on the shoulder.
The Marchesa Sciacca looked at Laura several times with reflective glances and a rancorous smile.
”The truth is that these Southern people are just children,” thought Caesar, mockingly. ”What an inveterate preoccupation they have in the beautiful.”