Geneva is anxious to do nothing to displease the Holy Alliance
to which it owes its independence. _Our_ part is not to ruffle foreign
courts; there are many foreigners here, Russians and English."
"Even some Gevenese?"
"Yes, monsieur, our lake is so fine! Lord Byron lived here about seven
years at the Villa Diodati, which every one goes to see now, like
Coppet and Ferney."
"You cannot tell me whether within a week or so a bookseller from
Milan has come with his wife--named Lamporani, one of the leaders of
the last revolution?"
"I could easily find out by going to the Foreigners' Club," said the
jeweler.
Rodolphe's first walk was very naturally to the Villa Diodati, the
residence of Lord Byron, whose recent death added to its
attractiveness: for is not death the consecration of genius?
The road to Eaux-Vives follows the shore of the lake, and, like all
the roads in Switzerland, is very narrow; in some spots, in
consequence of the configuration of the hilly ground, there is
scarcely space for two carriages to pass each other.
At a few yards from the Jeanrenauds' house, which he was approaching
without knowing it, Rodolphe heard the sound of a carriage behind him,
and, finding himself in a sunk road, he climbed to the top of a rock
to leave the road free. Of course he looked at the approaching
carriage--an elegant English phaeton, with a splendid pair of English
horses. He felt quite dizzy as he beheld in this carriage Francesca,
beautifully dressed, by the side of an old lady as hard as a cameo.
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