"That was like your distinguished father," I said.
"Yes, he too died young. I can't be said to have known him; I was but of
the age of my own little girl. But I weep for him all the more."
Again I was silent for a moment.
"It was in India too," I said presently, "that I heard of your mother's
second marriage."
The Countess raised her eyebrows.
"In India, then, one hears of everything! Did that news please you?"
"Well, since you ask me--no."
"I understand that," said the Countess, looking at her open fan. "I
shall not marry again like that."
"That's what your mother said to me," I ventured to observe.
She was not offended, but she rose from her seat and stood looking at me
a moment. Then--"You should not have gone away!" she exclaimed. I
stayed for another hour; it is a very pleasant house.
Two or three of the men who were sitting there seemed very civil and
intelligent; one of them was a major of engineers, who offered me a
profusion of information upon the new organisation of the Italian army.
While he talked, however, I was observing our hostess, who was talking
with the others; very little, I noticed, with her young Inglese. She is
altogether charming--full of frankness and freedom, of that inimitable
_disinvoltura_ which in an Englishwoman would be vulgar, and which in her
is simply the perfection of apparent spontaneity.
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