"No, no, Dario, we must stay.

These gentlemen wish to see everything--is it not so ?" "Oh, the Rome of to-day is here," exclaimed Pierre; "this tells one more about it than all the promenades among the ruins and the monuments." "You exaggerate, my dear Abbe," declared Narcisse.

"Still, I will admit that it is very interesting.

Some of the old women are particularly expressive." At this moment Benedetta, seeing a superbly beautiful girl in front of her, could not restrain a cry of enraptured admiration: "_O che bellezza!_" And then Dario, having recognised the girl, exclaimed with the same delight: "Why, it's La Pierina; she'll show us the way." The girl had been following the party for a moment already without daring to approach.

Her eyes, glittering with the joy of a loving slave, had at first darted towards the Prince, and then had hastily scrutinised the Contessina--not, however, with any show of jealous anger, but with an expression of affectionate submission and resigned happiness at seeing that she also was very beautiful.