With a sudden change of humour, Andrea kissed her on the ear, slipped an arm round her waist and proceeded to say a host of foolish things to her. The Corso was very lively, the shop windows resplendent, newspaper-vendors yelled, public and private vehicles crossed the path of their carriage; all the stir and animation of Roman evening life was in full swing from the Piazza Colonna to the Piazza di Venezia.
It was ten minutes past eight by the time they reached Doney's. The other guests were already there. Andrea Sperelli greeted the assembled company, and taking Clara Green by the hand—
'This,' he said, 'is Miss Clara Green, ancilla Domini, Sibylla palmifera, candida puella.'
'Ora pro nobis!' replied Musellaro, Barbarisi, and Grimiti in chorus.
The women laughed though they did not understand. Clara smiled, and slipping out of her cloak appeared in a white dress, quite simple and short, with a V-shaped opening back and front, a knot of sea-green ribbon on her left shoulder, and emeralds in her ears, perfectly unabashed by the triple scrutiny of Giulia Arici, Bébé Silva and Maria Fortuna.
Musellaro and Grimiti were old acquaintances; Barbarisi was introduced.
Andrea proceeded—'Mercedes Silva, surnamed Bébé—chica pero qualsa.
'Maria Fortuna, a veritable Fortuna publica for our Rome which has the good fortune to possess her.'
Then, turning to Barbarisi—'Do us the honour to present us to this lady who is, if I am not mistaken, the divine Giulia Farnese.'
'No—Arici,' Giulia broke in.