Zanoni, who, whatever his character or his arts, possessed at least all the external attributes that dazzle and command.

Impatient of his own doubts, he plunged into the society of such acquaintances as he had made at Naples--chiefly artists, like himself, men of letters, and the rich commercialists, who were already vying with the splendour, though debarred from the privileges, of the nobles.

From these he heard much of Zanoni, already with them, as with the idler classes, an object of curiosity and speculation.
He had noticed, as a thing remarkable, that Zanoni had conversed with him in English, and with a command of the language so complete that he might have passed for a native.

On the other hand, in Italian, Zanoni was equally at ease.

Glyndon found that it was the same in languages less usually learned by foreigners.