It certainly would have
been improper for Malipieri to go and fetch the young lady himself,
but it was absurd to suppose that a man over sixty could be blamed for
accompanying a girl of eighteen on a visit to her old home, in her own
interest, especially when the man had been all his life employed by
her family in a position of trust and confidence. Finally, Sassi hated
Volterra with all his heart, as the faithful adherents of ruined
gentlefolks often hate those who have profited by their ruin.
Sassi, as an old Roman, predicted that the weather would improve in
the afternoon. Malipieri advised him nevertheless to keep the hood of
his cab raised when he brought Sabina to the palace. To this Sassi
answered that he should of course get a closed carriage from a livery
stable, and an argument followed which took some time. In the opinion
of the excellent old agent, it would be almost an affront to fetch the
very noble Donna Sabina in a vehicle so plebeian as a cab, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that Malipieri made him understand that a
cab was much safer on such an occasion.
What was important was that the weather should be fine, for otherwise
the Baroness might not go out, and the whole scheme would fail. In
that case, it must be arranged for the following day, and Malipieri
would find an excuse for putting off Volterra's visit.
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