Here there came a pause, not that she was exhausted, but something had happened about the little dog, who required attention. When Etna’s business had been settled I thought it might be tactful if I suspended the inconvenience, as they say, so I asked Antonio whether we ought not to go and we begged leave to retire. She wished us good night in her frank, open way, thanked me for my visit, inquired how long I was staying in the town and concluded with the hope that I would call again, she never went out, so I should be sure to find her at any time. It should not be Addio, it should be Arrivederci.
There are few places where I am more at home than I am in Castellinaria, but as I had come there this time expressly to see Antonio he considered it his duty to look after me; he was engaged next day, however, so he deputed
two of his friends to amuse me, and they invited me to come for a drive to the lighthouse. On the way, one of them said:
“And so Antonio took you yesterday to pass an intellectual evening with the cardinalessa.”
“Yes,” I replied. “What a charming woman and what a strange life!”
They agreed, somewhat coldly as it seemed to me, and they rather markedly refrained from developing the subject I had offered them; but they proposed a counter subject. In a few days it would be Mery’s onomastico and they were going to send flowers. I should be in Palermo, would not I send her a message on a picture post-card? Of course I would. So between us we composed it:—
Auguri per l’ onomastico. Ringraziamenti per la serata intellettuale e per il caffè. Saluti—non più, per timore di ingelosire nostro amico Antonio.
Devotissimo suo Enrico. [183]
This was the address:—
All’ Eminentissima Cardinalessa,
Mery So-and-So,
Albergo dell’ Allegria,
Castellinaria.
I chose a card with a picture of St. Peter’s; this seemed more appropriate than una ballerina qualunque, which I might have had for the same money, because her onomastico was the 8th September, the birthday of the Madonna, and it was her uncle who had given her the name of Mery and had himself baptised her.