But he also was perfectly determined not to leave him in the room with the strangers, though almost as much at a loss as Paolina how to prevent it.
"Oh, hang the Contessa Giulia! In any case, it is too late to go to her now, and I am sure I shall like much better to stay here," said Leandro.
"Very likely.

But you forget that it may not be equally agreeable to these ladies that you should remain here, and they just arrived from a journey too," said the Marchese Ludovico, who was inwardly cursing his folly in having brought his friend with him on this errand, which he unquestionably would not have done had he had the remotest idea what manner of ladies they were that his uncle had deputed him to attend on.
"By-the-by, Leandro," he said, suddenly, as he was moving towards the door, "you must come with me--after all; for now I remember that the rooms I had in my mind were let a short time since, and the best thing we can do will be to go and look at those you spoke of." "Oh! I will tell you where they are--" said Leandro.
"No, no! that won't do at all; come--come along.

I won't go there without you.

Come!" said the Marchese.
And this was said in a manner that had the effect of making Leandro take leave of the ladies, with many hopes that they might meet again ere long.
Very soon after the two young men were in the street together, Ludovico protested that he must call at the Circolo before attending to the business they were on; and when he got there he pretended to be obliged to run home for a minute to the Palazzo Castelmare, which was hard by, saying that he would return and rejoin the Conte Leandro in less than five minutes.

And very heartily did that deceived gentleman abuse his friend, when he had waited an hour, and found that he did not return at all.