"Excellent! Then that trouble is off my mind."
At this moment the doctor entered, rubbing his fat hands together with an expression of glee.
"Eh, he sleeps, this young man," he said in a satisfied tone, "he will sleep for one, two, three hours, then, if you like, Marchese, you can send him to his own house."
"Signor Hugo will attend to all that, Avenza."
"Bene! Well, Marchese, à revederci! And you, Signor."
"Wait a moment, Signor Avenza; I am coming too."
"Where are you going! Hugo?" asked Beltrami, looking at me in some surprise, and nodding his head in the direction of Pallanza. I crossed over to him, and while Avenza was getting his hat, whispered in his ear,--
"I am going to the Ezzelino to find out Pallanza's address, so as to know where to take him."
"Ah! a good idea! I will wait here till you return."
I accompanied Signor Avenza to the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, where we parted. I then went to the Teatro Ezzelino and found out Pallanza's address from the stage-door keeper. While I was returning to Beltrami's rooms I saw Peppino, and arranged with him to be at the Via Cartoni at seven o'clock that evening to take a sick gentleman away. At first Peppino objected, being, like all Italians, terribly afraid of disease, but I soon quieted his objections, and he promised to call as directed.