"Certainly," Sabina answered, with perfect self-possession. "I think
it was by far the most sensible we could do. Signor Malipieri will
come to see us, as if he and I were really engaged."
"Yes," assented the Princess. "You cannot go on calling him Signor
Malipieri when we are together in the family, my dear. What is your
Christian name?" she asked, turning to him.
"Marino."
"I did not know," Sabina said, with truth, and looking at him, as if
she had found something new to like in him. "Is he to call me Sabina,
mother?"
"Naturally. Well, my dear Marino--"
Malipieri started visibly. The Princess explained.
"I shall call you so, too. It looks better before people, you know.
You must leave a card for the ambassador, at the porter's, when you go
downstairs, He is going to ask you to dinner, with a lot of our
relations, to announce the engagement. I have arranged it all
beautifully--he is so kind!"
CHAPTER XXIV
Masin was very much relieved when his master came home, looking much
calmer than when he had gone out and evidently having all his senses
about him. Malipieri sent to ask at what time the mails left Rome for
Florence, and he sat down to his table without remembering that he had
eaten nothing that day.
It was not easy to write out in a concise form the story of all that
has here been told in detail.
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