Wekeptnocompany。ItooklabellatotheDuomoandAnnunciata，totheCafe，totheOpera，tothevillageFesta，tothePublicGarden，totheDayTheatre，totheMarionetti。Theprettylittleonewascharmedwithallshesaw。ShelearntItalian-heavens！
　　miraculously！Wasmistressquiteforgetfulofthatdream？IaskedCarolinasometimes。Nearly，saidlabella-almost。Itwaswearingout。
　　Onedaymasterreceivedaletter，andcalledme。
　　'Baptista！'
　　'Signore！'
　　'Agentlemanwhoispresentedtomewilldinehereto-day。HeiscalledtheSignorDellombra。Letmedinelikeaprince。'
　　Itwasanoddname。Ididnotknowthatname。But，therehadbeenmanynoblemenandgentlemenpursuedbyAustriaonpoliticalsuspicions，lately，andsomenameshadchanged。Perhapsthiswasone。Altro！Dellombrawasasgoodanametomeasanother。
　　WhentheSignorDellombracametodinner（saidtheGenoesecourierinthelowvoice，intowhichhehadsubsidedoncebefore），Ishowedhimintothereception-room，thegreatsalaoftheoldpalazzo。
　　Masterreceivedhimwithcordiality，andpresentedhimtomistress。
　　Assherose，herfacechanged，shegaveacry，andfelluponthemarblefloor。
　　Then，IturnedmyheadtotheSignorDellombra，andsawthathewasdressedinblack，andhadareservedandsecretair，andwasadark，remarkable-lookingman，withblackhairandagreymoustache。
　　Masterraisedmistressinhisarms，andcarriedhertoherownroom，whereIsentlabellaCarolinastraight。Labellatoldmeafterwardsthatmistresswasnearlyterrifiedtodeath，andthatshewanderedinhermindaboutherdream，allnight。
　　Masterwasvexedandanxious-almostangry，andyetfullofsolicitude。TheSignorDellombrawasacourtlygentleman，andspokewithgreatrespectandsympathyofmistress'sbeingsoill。
　　TheAfricanwindhadbeenblowingforsomedays（theyhadtoldhimathishoteloftheMalteseCross），andheknewthatitwasoftenhurtful。Hehopedthebeautifulladywouldrecoversoon。Hebeggedpermissiontoretire，andtorenewhisvisitwhenheshouldhavethehappinessofhearingthatshewasbetter。Masterwouldnotallowofthis，andtheydinedalone。
　　Hewithdrewearly。Nextdayhecalledatthegate，onhorse-back，toinquireformistress。Hedidsotwoorthreetimesinthatweek。
　　WhatIobservedmyself，andwhatlabellaCarolinatoldme，unitedtoexplaintomethatmasterhadnowsethismindoncuringmistressofherfancifulterror。Hewasallkindness，buthewassensibleandfirm。Hereasonedwithher，thattoencouragesuchfancieswastoinvitemelancholy，ifnotmadness。Thatitrestedwithherselftobeherself。Thatifsheonceresistedherstrangeweakness，sosuccessfullyastoreceivetheSignorDellombraasanEnglishladywouldreceiveanyotherguest，itwasforeverconquered。Tomakeanend，thesignorecameagain，andmistressreceivedhimwithoutmarkeddistress（thoughwithconstraintandapprehensionstill），andtheeveningpassedserenely。Masterwassodelightedwiththischange，andsoanxioustoconfirmit，thattheSignorDellombrabecameaconstantguest。Hewasaccomplishedinpictures，books，andmusic；andhissociety，inanygrimpalazzo，wouldhavebeenwelcome。
　　Iusedtonotice，manytimes，thatmistresswasnotquiterecovered。Shewouldcastdownhereyesanddroopherhead，beforetheSignorDellombra，orwouldlookathimwithaterrifiedandfascinatedglance，asifhispresencehadsomeevilinfluenceorpoweruponher。Turningfromhertohim，Iusedtoseehimintheshadedgardens，orthelargehalf-lightedsala，looking，asImightsay，'fixedlyuponheroutofdarkness。'But，truly，IhadnotforgottenlabellaCarolina'swordsdescribingthefaceinthedream。
　　AfterhissecondvisitIheardmastersay:
　　'Now，see，mydearClara，it'sover！Dellombrahascomeandgone，andyourapprehensionisbrokenlikeglass。'
　　'Willhe-willheevercomeagain？'askedmistress。
　　'Again？Why，surely，overandoveragain！Areyoucold？'（sheshivered）。
　　'No，dear-but-heterrifiesme:areyousurethatheneedcomeagain？'
　　'Thesurerforthequestion，Clara！'repliedmaster，cheerfully。
　　But，hewasveryhopefulofhercompleterecoverynow，andgrewmoreandmoresoeveryday。Shewasbeautiful。Hewashappy。
　　'Allgoeswell，Baptista？'hewouldsaytomeagain。
　　'Yes，signore，thankGod；verywell。'
　　Wewereall（saidtheGenoesecourier，constraininghimselftospeakalittlelouder），wewereallatRomefortheCarnival。I
　　hadbeenout，allday，withaSicilian，afriendofmine，andacourier，whowastherewithanEnglishfamily。AsIreturnedatnighttoourhotel，ImetthelittleCarolina，whoneverstirredfromhomealone，runningdistractedlyalongtheCorso。