he last
thing I heard. The fury I was in, and the necessity of keeping it down,
almost suffocated me. I turned round to leave the place forever, when,
who should I see, standing close behind me, but Father Rocco. He must
have discovered in my face that I knew all, but he took no notice of
it. He only asked, in his usual quiet, polite way, if I was looking for
anything I had lost, and if he could help me. I managed to thank him,
and to get to the door. He opened it for me respectfully, and bowed--he
treated me like a lady to the last! It was evening when I left the
studio in that way. The next morning I threw up my situation, and turned
my back on Pisa. Now you know everything."

"Did you hear of the marriage? or did you only assume from what you knew
that it would take place?"

"I heard of it about six months ago. A man came to sing in the chorus at
our theater who had been employed some time before at the grand concert
given on the occasion of the marriage. But let us drop the subject now.
I am in a fever already with talking of it. You are in a bad situation
here, my dear; I declare your room is almost stifling."

"Shall I open the other window?"

"No; let us go out and get a breath of air by the river-side. Come! take
your hood and fan--it is getting dark--nobody will see us, and we can
come back here, if you like, in half an hour."

Mademoiselle Virginie acceded to her friend's wish rather reluctantly.
They walked toward the river. The sun was down, and the sudden night of
Italy was gathering fast. Although Brigida did not say another word on
the subject of Fabio or his wife, she led the way to the bank of the
Arno, on which the young nobleman's palace stood.

Just as they got near the great door of entrance, a sedan-chair,
approaching in the opposite direction, was set down before it; and
a footman, after a moment's conference with a lady inside the chair,
advanced to the porter's lodge in the courtyard. Leaving her friend
to go on, Brigida slipped in after the servant by the open wicket, and
concealed herself in the shadow cast by the great closed gates.

"The Marchesa Melani, to inquire how the Countess d'Ascoli and the
infant are this evening," said the footman.

"My mistress has not changed at all for the better since the morning,"
answered the porter. "The child is doing quite well."

The footman went back to the sedan-chair; then returned to the porter's
lodge.

"The marchesa desires me to ask if