And in the earlier part of the time in question,--of the eight months, that is, from the March in which the young artist came to Ravenna, to the November in which Signor Ercole Stadione had made his journey to Milan there had been plenty of joking and raillery about Ludovico's enthralment by the "bella Veneziana," and many attempts to compete with him for so very attractive and desirable a "buona fortuna." But all this had only been at the beginning of the time.

Ludovico had taken the matter in a tone and in a humour, that had soon put an end to all such joking and to all such attempts.

It was in all ways easy for him to do this.

He was popular, and much liked among the young men, in the first place.

His social position, as the heir of one of the first families of the province whether for wealth or nobility of race, and of a man of such social standing as his uncle, made it a very undesirable thing to quarrel with him.