Soon, however, the master of the house dismissed the guests, and though
his apologies were profuse, and his words very gracious, still his
haste was such as to be almost discourteous. As soon as he was alone he
unlocked the door, and, pushing it open, stood bowing on the threshold.
"Ladies!" said he, and threw the door wide open.
A swarm of ladies fluttered into the empty hall. A middle-aged spinster
literally flung herself towards the young man, and, clasping her hands,
exclaimed:
"Oh! how grateful we are to you! Oh! what a saint! I don't know what
prevented us from rushing in and embracing him!"
"_Cara!_ My good creature!" said another with the quiet irony of the
Venetian, her fine large eyes sparkling. "It was probably because the
door was locked, fortunately for him!"
The ladies were twelve in number. The master of the house, Professor
Guarnacci, son of the general-agent of one of them--the Marchesa Fermi,
a Roman--had spoken to her about the meeting which was to take place
at his house, and had mentioned the discourse to be pronounced by that
strange personage about whom all Rome was already talking, knowing him
as an enthusiastic religious agitator and miracle worker, most popular
in the Testaccio district.
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