mistress would be ready in a few minutes. The few minutes, however,
became half an hour, as minutes will under such circumstances. And
the result of this delay was that Ludovico and his companion were
not the first travellers out of the Porta Nuova that morning.

During the whole of the past Carnival and the latter months of the
previous year there had been living in Ravenna a young girl,--an
artist from Venice, who had come to Ravenna with a commission given
her by a travelling Englishman to make copies of some of the more
remarkable of the very extraordinary and unique series of mosaics
which exist in the old imperial city. She had brought with her a
letter of introduction from her employer to the Marchese Lamberto,--
a circumstance which had led to a degree of intimacy between the
Marchesino Ludovico and the extremely attractive young artist, which
threatened to stand more or less in the way of the match which had
been arranged by the high-contracting parties between Ludovico and
the Lady Violante, the great niece of the Cardinal. The girl's name
was Paolina Foscarelli.

It is probable that in due time and season the reader may become
better acquainted with Paolina. But at present there is no need of
troubling him with more particulars respecting her than the above,
save to mention that, having industriously and successfully
completed the greater portion of her task in the churches within the
city, she had determined to make her first visit to the strange old
Basilica of St. Apollinare in Classe, on that same Ash Wednesday
morning. She did not purpose beginning her task there on that day;
but intended merely to reconnoitre the ground, look to the needful
preparations that had been made for her work, and ascertain how far
the spot was within her powers of walking.