" Kalmon bent down quickly, for he thought the delirium was coming
again. "Who is it?" he asked.
"Aurora--I mean, the Signorina--can you? Oh, do you think you could?"
"I'll try," Kalmon answered in great surprise.
But now the hoarseness was suddenly gone, and her sweet voice was softly
humming an old song of the hills, forgotten many years, and the
Professor saw that she did not know him any more. He nodded to Teresa,
who was in the room, and went out.
He wondered much at the request, but he remembered that it had been made
in the full belief that he would say nothing of it to Marcello. If she
had been willing that Marcello should know, she would have spoken to
him, rather than to Kalmon. He had seen little enough of Regina, but he
was sure that she could have no bad motive in wishing to see the young
girl. Yet, from a social point of view, it was not exactly an easy thing
to propose, and the Contessa would have a right to be offended at the
mere suggestion that her daughter should speak to "Consalvi's Regina";
and there could not be anything clandestine in the meeting, if Aurora
consented to it. Kalmon was too deeply attached to the Contessa herself
to be willing to risk her displeasure, or, indeed, to do anything of
which she would not approve.
He went to her house by the Forum of Trajan, and he found her at home.
It was late in the afternoon, and the lamp was lighted in the little
drawing-room, which did not seem at all shabby to Kalmon's accustomed
eyes and not very exigent taste.
Pages:
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355