"You will find everything in confusion, but pray excuse it.

It is some time since I had any visitors.

Mind the steps, conte!--the place is rather dark just here--every one stumbles at this particular corner." So talking, and laughing as he talked, he escorted me up the short narrow flight of stairs to the light airy room where he usually worked.
Glancing round it, I saw at once the evidences of neglect and disorder--he had certainly not been there for many days, though he had made an attempt to arrange it tastefully for my reception.

On the table stood a large vase of flowers grouped with artistic elegance--I felt instinctively that my wife had put them there.

I noticed that Ferrari had begun nothing new--all the finished and unfinished studies I saw I recognized directly.