It may be doubted, however, whether on this occasion, at least, the
dignified Marchese was satisfied with the position he had thus made
for himself. It would have been too absurd and remarkable for La
Bianca to have abstained from dancing and attached herself to him in
the ball-room, instead of consorting with the younger folks. Of
course that was entirely out of the question. But none the less for
that was the evening a time of cruel suffering and martyrdom to the
Marchese. Of course he believed that the adoption of so singularly
similar a costume by Bianca and his nephew was the result of pre-
arranged agreement. And the thought, and all that his embittered
fancy built upon the thought, were making everything around him, and
all the prospect of his life before him, utterly intolerable to him.

Ludovico and Bianca had been dancing together for the third time--a
waltz fast and furious, which they had kept up almost incessantly
till the music had ceased. Heated and breathless, he led her out of
the ball-room to get some refreshment. There was a large supper-room
which, on the cessation of the waltz, immediately became crowded by
other couples bent on a similar errand. But there had also been
established a little subsidiary buffet in a small cabinet at the
furthest end of the suite of rooms, for the purpose of drawing off
some of the crowd from the main supper-room. And thither Ludovico
led Bianca, thinking to avoid the crush of people rushing in to the
larger room.

The young Marchese--the "Marchesino," as he was often called, to
distinguish him from his uncle, the Marchese Lamberto--was one of
the small committee of the Circolo, who had had the management of
all the arrangements for the ball; and was, accordingly, well aware
of the whereabouts of this little "succursale" to the supper-room.