They were chiefly men in politics, and two of
them brought their wives with them. They were not the sort of guests
whom the Baroness preferred, for they were not by any means all noble
Romans, but they were of importance to her husband and she took great
pains to make them welcome. To one she offered his favourite liqueur,
which happened to be a Sicilian ratafia; for another she made the
Baron send for some of those horribly coarse black cigars known as
Tuscans, which some Italians prefer to anything else; for a third, she
ordered fresh coffee to be especially made. She took endless trouble.
Malipieri seemed to know none of the guests, and he took advantage of
the Baroness's preoccupation for their comforts to sit down by Sabina.
He did not look at her, and she thought he looked bored, as he sat a
moment in silence. Then a thin deputy with a magnificent forehead and
thick grey hair began to hold forth on the subject of a projected
divorce law and the guests gathered round him. Sabina had never heard
of Sydney Smith, but she had a suspicion that nobody could be as great
as the speaker looked. While she was thinking of this, Malipieri spoke
to her in a low voice.
"I suppose that you are stopping in the house," he said.
"Yes."
Sabina turned her eyes a little, but did not look straight at him.
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