Her preparations were all made.  She had at the last moment realised that it was not fitting for her, at her age, to travel alone, nor to live wholly alone in her widowhood.  She had revolved the matter in her mind, and had decided that there was no woman of her acquaintance whom she could ask even for a short time to stay with her.  She had no friends, no relations, none to turn to in such a need.  It was not that she cared for company in her solitude; it was merely a question of propriety.  To overcome the difficulty, she obtained permission to take with her one of the sisters of a charitable order of nuns, a lady in middle life, but broken down and in ill health from her untiring labours.  The thing was easily managed; and the next morning, on leaving the palace, she stopped at the gate of the community and found Sister Gabrielle waiting with her modest box.  The nun entered the huge travelling carriage, and the two ladies set out for Astrardente.

It was the first day of Carnival, and a memorably sad one for Giovanni Saracinesca.  He would have been capable of leaving Rome at once, but that he had promised Corona not to attempt to see her.  He would have gone to Saracinesca for the mere sake of being nearer to her, had he not reflected that he would be encouraging all manner of gossip by so doing.  But he determined that so soon as Lent began, he would declare his intention of leaving the city for a year.  No one ever went to Saracinesca, and by making a circuit he could reach the ancestral castle without creating suspicion.  He might even go to Paris for a few days, and have it supposed that he was wandering about Europe, for he could trust his own servants implicitly; they were not of the type who would drink wine at a tavern with Temistocle or any of his class.

The old Prince came into his son’s room in the morning and found him disconsolately looking over his guns, for the sake of an occupation.

“Well, Giovanni,” he said, “you have time to reflect upon your future conduct.  What! are you going upon a shooting expedition?”

“I wish I could.  I wish I could find anything to do,” answered Giovanni, laying down the breech-loader and looking out of the window.  “The world is turned inside out like a beggar’s pocket, and there is nothing in it.”

“So the Astrardente is gone,” remarked the Prince.

“Yes; gone to live within twenty miles of Saracinesca,” replied Giovanni, with an angry intonation.

“Do not go there yet,” said his father.  “Leave her alone a while.  Women become frantic in solitude.”

“Do you think I am an idiot?” exclaimed Giovanni.  “Of course I shall stay where I am till Carnival is over.”  He was not in a good humour.

“Why are you so petulant?” retorted the old man.  “I merely gave you my advice.”

“Well, I am going to follow it.  It is good.  When Carnival is over I will go away, and perhaps get to Saracinesca by a roundabout way, so that no one will know where I am.  Will you not come too?”