'They slept on the floor in the passage,' Pina answered. 'Perhaps they are asleep still. You shut your eyes as soon as you lay down, but I opened the door again and looked out before I went to bed. Signor Alessandro asked me if we needed anything, and then said good-night.'
'Will you go and see if they are still there, please?'
Pina crossed the room, drew back the bolt, and put out her head, looking up and down the passage. There was no one to be seen, and she shut the door again without bolting it. She came back and again began to comb out the girl's hair.
'They are not there,' she said. 'Probably Signor Alessandro is ordering the horses. He will come in a few minutes and tell us at what time we are to start.'
A short silence followed.
'Have you ever been here before?' Ortensia asked presently.
'Yes,' Pina answered, 'I have been here before. I do not like Ferrara.'
'Why not? Have you any particular reason for not liking it?'
'It was here that my thumb was hurt,' said the nurse. 'That is a fair reason, is it not?' She laughed rather harshly. 'To hate a place because one has had an accident in it! The men would say that is just like a woman!'
'I hope I may never come here again, either,' Ortensia answered. 'How did you hurt your thumb?'