TWO

"Well, if Lord Clements does not want to be at the trouble of ordering or lives, so much the better", Patrick said. "You want to cut a dash in town, and I daresay I can find plenty of amusement if we have not a crusty old guardian to spoil the fun". 

"Yes", Miss Elizabeth agreed, but somewhat doubtfully. "But in common civility, we must ask his permission to set up house in Rome. I do hope we shall not find him set against us, regarding it as an imposition, I mean; perhaps thinking that our uncle might rather have been appointed instead of himself. It must appear very singular to him. It is an awkward business, Parte". 

A grunt being the only response to that, she said no more, but leaned back in her corner and perused the unsatisfactory communication she had received from Lord Clements. 

It was an awkward business. His lordship, who must, she reflected, be going on for sixty five or seventy years of age, showed a marked disinclination to trouble himself when the affairs of his wards, and although this might in some circumstances be reckoned a good thing, in others it must be found to be a pronounced evil. Neither she nor Patrick - her brother - had ever been so far from home than to Massa. They knew nothing of Rome, and had no acquaintance there to guide them. The only people known to them in the entire town were their uncle, and a female cousin living respectably, but in a small way, in Acea. Miss Tellaro must rely upon this lady to present her into society, for her uncle - a retired Admiral of the Blue, has lived upon terms of such mutual dislike and mistrust with her father as must dissuade her from seeking either his support or his acquaintance. 

Sir. Joshua Tellaro had never been heard to speak with the smallest degree of kindness of his brother, and when his gout was at its worst, he had been used to refer to him as a damned scoundrelly fellow whom he would not entrust the length of his own left arm. There were very few people whom Sir. Joshua had ever spoken of with much complaisance, but he had given his children such instances of their uncle's conduct from time to time, that had convinced them that he must indeed be a shabby creature, and not a mere victim of Sir Joshua's prejudice. 

Lord Clements might think it singular that he who had not set eyes on his old friend once in the last ten years should have been appointed guardian to his children, but they, knowing Sir. Joshua, found it easily understandable. Sir. Joshua, always irrational, could never be convinced to live on terms of cordiality with his neighbors, during the last years of his life. There must always be quarrels. But from having lived secluded on his estates ever since the death of his wife and not having met Lord Clements more than three times in a dozen years, he had had no quarrel with him, and had come by insensible degrees to consider him the very person to have the care of his children in the event of his own demise. Clements was a capital fellow; Sir. Joshua could trust him to administer the very considerable fortune he would leave for his children. There was no fear of Clements warming his own pockets. The thing was done, the Will drawn up without the smallest reference to it being made either to Clements or to the children themselves - a circumstance, Miss Tellaro could not but reflect, entirely in keeping with all Sir. Joshua's high handed dealings. 

She was aroused from her thoughts by the rattle and bump of the chaise wheels striking cobblestones, and looked up to find that they had arrived at Florence. 

As they drew into the town, the post boys were obliged to slacken the pace considerably, so much traffic was there in the streets, and such a great number of people thronging the pathways, and even the road itself. 

All was bustle and shuffling, and when the chaise came at last within sight of the Vinaio, a huge red brick structure on the main street, Miss Tellaro was surprised to see any number of coaches, curricles, gigs, and phaetons drawn up before it. 

"Well", Elizabeth turned toward her brother, "I am glad I followed Mrs. Minceman's advice and wrote to reserve our rooms. I had no notion we would find Vinaio so crowded". 

Sir Patrick had woken himself up, and was leaning forward to look out of the window. "There must be something out of the way happening here". 

Few minutes later, the chaise turned in under the archway to the courtyard, and came to a standstill. There an even greater bustle reigned, every ostler being so fully occupied that for some minutes, no one approached the chaise nor gave any single sign of having observed its arrival. A post boy already booted and spurred, with a white smock over his uniform, who was leaning against the wall with a straw between his teeth, did indeed survey the chaise in a disinterested manner, but since it was no part of his business to change the horses, or inquire after the traveller's needs, he made no movement to come forward. 

With an exclamation of impatience, Sir Patrick thrust open the door in front of the chaise, and sprang down, but after briefly advising his sister to sit still and wait. He strode off toward the idling post boy, who straightened himself respectfully at his approach, and removed the straw from his mouth. After a brief discussion with the boy, Sir Patrick hurried back to the chaise, his boredom quite vanished, and his face fairly sparkling with anticipation. 

"Elizabeth! The best of good fortune! A fight! Only think of it! Out of all the days in the year to have come to Florence, and by the rarest chance!" 

"A fight?" Miss Tellaro was alarmed, drawing her brows together.