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。