The immediate result of this little traffic was that the gardeners at
the villa knew all about the little house in Trastevere; and what the
gardeners knew was known also by the porter, and by the other servants,
and through them by the servants of other people, and the confidential
valet told his master, and the maid told her mistress; and so everybody
had learned where "Consalvi's Regina" lived, and it was likely that
everybody would know when she came back to Rome, and whether Marcello
came with her or not.
He had not taken Folco's advice, much to the latter's disappointment and
annoyance. On the contrary, he and Regina had left the Engadine very
suddenly, without so much as letting Corbario guess that they were going
away; and Regina had managed to keep Settimia so very busy and so
constantly under her eye that the maid had not been able to send Folco a
word, warning him of the anticipated move. Almost for the first time
Marcello had made up his mind for himself, and had acted upon his
decision; and it seemed as if the exercise of his will had made a change
in his character.
They wandered from place to place; they went to Venice in the hottest
season, when no one was there, and they came down to Florence and drove
up to Vallombrosa, where they stumbled upon society, and were stared at
accordingly. They went down to Siena, they stopped in Orvieto, and drove
across to Assisi and Perugia; but they were perpetually drawn towards
Rome, and knew that they longed to be there again.
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