“Would you then leave Mamita Lila so suddenly?” inquired her friend; whereupon the emotional child began to weep and protest.  This little scene was interrupted by Carlina with two visiting-cards on a silver salver.  Mrs. Delano’s face flushed unusually as she glanced at them.  She immediately rose to go, saying to Flora:  “I must see these people; but I will come back to you as soon as I can.  Don’t leave your room, my dear.”

In the parlor, she found a gentleman and lady, both handsome, but as different from each other as night and morning.  The lady stepped forward and said:  “I think you will recollect me; for we lived in the same street in Boston, and you and my mother used to visit together.”

“Miss Lily Bell,” rejoined Mrs. Delano, offering her hand.  “I had not heard you were on this side the Atlantic.”

“Not Miss Bell now, but Mrs. Fitzgerald,” replied the fair little lady.  “Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Fitzgerald.”

Mrs. Delano bowed, rather coldly; and her visitor continued:  “I was so sorry I didn’t know you were with the Vatican party last night.  Mr. Green told us of it this morning, and said you were obliged to leave early, on account of the indisposition of Miss Delano.  I hope she has recovered, for Mr. Green has told me so much about her that I am dying with curiosity to see her.”

“She is better, I thank you, but not well enough to see company,” replied Mrs. Delano.

“What a pity she will be obliged to relinquish the opera to-night!” observed Mr. Fitzgerald.  “I hear she is very musical; and they tell wonderful stories about this new prima donna.  They say she has two more notes in the altissimo scale than any singer who has been heard here, and that her sostenuto is absolutely marvellous.”

Mrs. Delano replied politely, expressing regret that she and her daughter were deprived of the pleasure of hearing such a musical genius.  After some desultory chat concerning the various sights in Rome, the visitors departed.

“I’m glad your call was short,” said Mr. Fitzgerald.  “That lady is a perfect specimen of Boston ice.”

Whereupon his companion began to rally him for want of gallantry in saying anything disparaging of Boston.

Meanwhile Mrs. Delano was pacing the parlor in a disturbed state of mind.  Though she had foreseen such a contingency as one of the possible consequences of adopting Flora, yet when it came so suddenly in a different place, and under different circumstances from any she had thought of, the effect was somewhat bewildering.  She dreaded the agitation into which the news would throw Flora, and she wanted to mature her own future plans before she made the announcement.  So, in answer to Flora’s questions about the visitors, she merely said a lady from Boston, the daughter of one of her old acquaintances, had called to introduce her husband.  After dinner, they spent some time reading Tasso’s Aminta together; and then Mrs. Delano said:  “I wish to go and have a talk with Mr. and Mrs. Percival.  I have asked him to inquire about vessels at Civita Vecchia; for, under present circumstances, I presume you would be glad to set out sooner than we intended on that romantic expedition in search of your sister.”