“Well, be it so.  But, my dear boy, you know all the importance of this marriage!  You know how desirable it is in every point of view; family, rank, station, influence, money,—­though that happily we have no need to seek; why, it was only last week,—­this is a secret, and must go no further, but I know I can trust to your discretion;—­ only last week, that I got a letter from my old friend, Monsignore Paterini at Rome, in which he speaks in almost open terms of the chance, and even probability, that our Cardinal might—­ahem!—­find the next conclave a particularly interesting one.  You know how Paterini stands at Rome, and that a hint from him is as good as a volume from another; and just think of the possibilities that such a contingency might open before you!  I won’t say any more; but do now during this Carnival, show yourself a little more at the palace, and pay a little attention, and let the world see that you occupy the place with regard to the Contessa Violante, that you really do occupy.  Basta!”

“I will do the best I can, sir, to merit your approbation,” said Ludovico, feeling that he was expected to say something, and not well knowing how to do it.

“And now about the matter I wanted to speak of last night.  La Lalli comes to us, you see, for the Carnival:  it is a great triumph for Ravenna.  She is certainly the first singer in Italy, since England with its brute power of money, robbed us of poor Sparderini.  But between you and me, figliuolo mio, we should never have got her, if there had not been certain difficulties—­certain scandals,—­che so io?—­at Milan.  All that is no business of ours, you know, tutt’ altro!  But there has been talk;—­stories have got about!—­mere calumny probably, as Signor Ercole very justly remarked,—­but it is very desirable that such things should not be the talk of the town here.  It is mauvais genre to chatter about such matters.  You can make it mauvais genre among the youngsters at Ravenna, if you choose.  Do so; you understand!  That’s all.”

“Perfectly, uncle!  Lasci fare a me!  I’ll see to it; though I confess I do not quite understand why we need trouble ourselves about any such gossip,” said Ludovico, delighted to be able to fall in with his uncle’s wishes in something.

“Well, I should have thought that you might understand.  In the first place I don’t want it to be said or imagined, either here or elsewhere, that Ravenna has taken up with a singer, who could not get an engagement elsewhere.  Not that that is the case by any means.  But don’t you see, if it is said that she was obliged to leave Milan, it puts us in the position of a pis aller!  And I don’t like that.  In the next place, I don’t want to have light talk about a person whom I have had so large a share in bringing to the city.  These are things you ought to learn to think of, caro mio!” replied the Marchese, a little annoyed at having to put his feelings on the subject into such plain words.