He had not been able to resist the temptation of getting one glimpse of the world he loved, before the wet blanket of Lent extinguished the lights of the ballrooms and the jollity of the dancers.

Every one was surprised to see him, and most people were pleased; he was such a useful man, that he had often been missed during the time of his illness.

He was improved in appearance; for though he was very pale, he had grown also extremely thin, and his features had gained delicacy.
When Giovanni saw him, he went up to him, and the two men exchanged a formal salutation, while every one stood still for a moment to see the meeting.

It was over in a moment, and society gave a little sigh of relief, as though a weight were removed from its mind.

Then Del Ferice went to Donna Tullia's side.