"I will be there at six or thereabouts. Now we will go back to the
ball-room; but don't dance till you have not a leg left to stand on.
We must have a good long stroll in the Pineta."

"Lascia fare a me! I dare say I shan't dance another dance--unless,
indeed, we have one more turn together before you go. Is there
time?"

"Oh yes, for that plenty of time. If you are not afraid of tiring
yourself, one more last dance by all means."

So giving her his arm, the Marchesino led his beautiful and
fascinating companion back to the ballroom, where the music was
again making the most of the time with another waltz.



CHAPTER II

Apollo Vindex


The Conte Leandro Lombardoni had not passed a pleasant Carnival.
Reconciled, as he had recently professed himself to be--after some
one of the frequent misfortunes that happened to his intercourse
with them--with the fair sex, he had begun his Carnival by
attempting to make his merit acceptable in the eyes of La Lalli; and
had failed to obtain any recognition from her, even as a poet, to
say nothing of his pretensions as a Don Juan. To a certain limited