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I have brought you some flowers to wear with it."
"Oh, those lovely cluster roses; I am so fond
of them! But they had much better go into water.
I hate to wear flowers."
"Now that's one of your superstitious fancies."
"No, it isn't; only I think they must get so
bored, spending all the evening pinned to such a
dull companion."
"I am afraid we shall all be bored to-night. The
conversazione will be dull beyond endurance."
"Why?"
"Partly because everything Grassini touches
becomes as dull as himself."
"Now don't be spiteful. It is not fair when we
are going to be a man's guests."
"You are always right, Madonna. Well then,
it will be dull because half the interesting people
are not coming."
"How is that?"
"I don't know. Out of town, or ill, or something.
Anyway, there will be two or three ambassadors
and some learned Germans, and the usual
nondescript crowd of tourists and Russian princes
and literary club people, and a few French officers;
nobody else that I know of--except, of course,
the new satirist, who is to be the attraction of the
evening.


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