"
"Do you know where to find them now?"
"Signor Luca told me he should be at his studio, and Father Rocco
said I might find him at his lodgings."
"Send for them both directly. Stay, who is your mistress's
confessor? He ought to be summoned without loss of time."
"My mistress's confessor is Father Rocco, sir."
"Very well--send, or go yourself, at once. Even minutes may be of
importance now." Saying this, the doctor turned away, and sat
down to wait for any last demands on his services, in the chair
which Fabio had just left.
CHAPTER III.
Before the servant could get to the priest's lodgings a visitor
had applied there for admission, and had been immediately
received by Father Rocco himself. This favored guest was a little
man, very sprucely and neatly dressed, and oppressively polite in
his manner. He bowed when he first sat down, he bowed when he
answered the usual inquiries about his health, and he bowed, for
the third time, when Father Rocco asked what had brought him from
Florence.
"Rather an awkward business," replied the little man, recovering
himself uneasily after his third bow. "The dressmaker, named
Nanina, whom you placed under my wife's protection about a year
ago--"
"What of her?" inquired the priest eagerly.
"I regret to say she has left us, with her child-sister, and
their very disagreeable dog, that growls at everybody.
Pages:
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451