Signor Fortini was, to all appearances, entirely unoccupied; but it is probable that his mind was fully employed in striving to see his way through some portion of the difficulties that hedged about on all sides the subject on which, more or less, all Ravenna was intent.  He was sitting before his table, thickly covered with papers; but had thrown himself back in his leather-covered arm-chair, and was grasping his stubbly chin with one hand, the elbow belonging to which rested on the arm of his chair, while the dark eyes, shining out beneath his contracted forehead, were fixed on the ceiling of the little room.

“Signora Orsola Steno,” he said, as he half rose, and courteously offered his visitor a seat by the side of the table, so placed as to be fronting his own, while the sitter in it was exactly in a line between him and the window.

“Sua Signoria mi conosce.  Your lordship knows me, then,” said the old woman, whose surprise at finding herself thus recognized sufficed to put altogether out of her head all the carefully arranged opening of her interview with the lawyer which she had taken much pains to prepare.

Signor Fortini had, in truth, never seen the old woman, and had scarcely ever heard of her before the terrible event, which was now bringing her into his presence.  But her name, the nature of her connection with Paolina, and very many other particulars concerning her had become known to the lawyer in the course of the investigations which that event had imposed upon him.

“Sufficiently, Signora, though I never had the pleasure of speaking to you before, to be aware of the nature of the business which has induced you to favour me with this visit,” replied the lawyer, with grave courtesy.

“Well, then, Signor Dottore, I hope you will excuse—­”

“There is not the smallest need for any apology, Signora.  Anzi—­I am very glad that you should have thought it well to call on me; I shall be most happy to hear anything that you may wish to say to me.”

“You are very polite, Signor Dottore, I am sure,” said the old woman, hesitatingly; for she was alarmed at the idea, which the lawyer’s courtesy had suggested to her cautious mind, that she might be supposed to be engaging his professional services, and might thus find herself, before she was aware of it, involved in expenses which she had no means of meeting, and no intention of incurring; “you are extremely polite, but—­you see, Signor, it is best to speak plainly--I am a very poor woman; and I have not the means—­and I am sure—­ perhaps I ought not to have troubled sua Signoria; but it was the Contessa Violante who advised me to come to you.”