His Highness
complains that I am always surrounded by the same company; but is it my
fault if there are not twenty persons at court that can survive a day in
the saddle and a night at cards? Have you seen the Belverde, my mistress
of the robes? She follows the hunt in a litter, cousin, and tells her
beads at the death! I hope you like cards too, cousin, for I would have
all my weaknesses shared by my friends, that they may be the less
disposed to criticise them."
The impression produced on the Duchess by the cavaliere Valsecca was
closely observed by several members of the group surrounding her
Highness. One of these was Count Trescorre, who moved among the
courtiers with an air of ease that seemed to establish without
proclaiming the tie between himself and the Duchess. When Maria
Clementina sat down at play, Trescorre joined Odo and with his usual
friendliness pointed out the most conspicuous figures in the circle. The
Duchess's society, as the Duke had implied, was composed of the livelier
members of the court, chief among whom was the same Don Serafino who had
figured so vividly in the reminiscences of Mirandolina and Cantapresto.
This gentleman, a notorious loose-liver and gamester, with some remains
of good looks and a gay boisterous manner, played the leader of revels
to her Highness's following; and at his heels came the flock of pretty
women and dashing spendthrifts who compose the train of a young and
pleasure-loving princess. On such occasions as the present, however, all
the members of the court were obliged to pay their duty to her Highness;
and conspicuous among these less frequent visitors was the Duke's
director, the suave and handsome Dominican whom Odo had seen leaving his
Highness's closet that afternoon.
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