"_The night is dark, brother._" "_The dawn is near._" Instantly the door was thrown open; the dark figure of a man was seen against the light; he said, "Come in! come in!" and his hand was outstretched. The stranger seemed greatly surprised. "What, you, Calabressa!" he exclaimed. "Your time has not yet expired!" "What, no? My faith, I have made it expire!" said the other, airily, and introducing a rather badly pronounced French word or two into his Italian. "But come in, come in; take a seat. You are early; you may have to wait." He was an odd-looking person, this tall, thin, elderly man, with the flowing yellow-white hair and the albino eyes. There was a semi-military look about his braided coat; but, on the other hand, he wore the cap of a German student--of purple velvet, with a narrow leather peak. He seemed to be proud of his appearance. He had a gay manner. "Yes, I am escaped. Ah, how fine it is! You walk about all day as you please; you smoke cigarettes; you have your coffee; you go to look at the young English ladies who come to feed the pigeons in the place." He raised two fingers to his lips, and blew a kiss to all the world. "Such complexions! A wild rose in every cheek! But listen, now; this is not about an English young lady. I go up to the Church of St. Mark--besides the bronze horses. I am enjoying the air, when I hear a sound; I turn; over there I see open windows; ah! the figure in the white dressing-gown! It is the _diva_ herself. They play the _Barbiere_ to-night, and she is practicing as she dusts her room. _Una voce poco fa_--it thrills all through the square. She puts the ornaments on the mantel-piece straight. _Lo giurai, la vincero!_--she goes to the mirror and makes the most beautiful attitude. Ah, what a spectacle--the black hair all down--the white dressing-gown--_In sono docile_"--and again he kissed his two fingers. Then he said, "But now, you. You do not look one day older. And how is Natalie?" "Natalie is well, I believe," said the other, gravely. "You are a strange man. You have not a soft heart for the pretty creatures of the world; you are implacable. The little Natalushka, then; how is she?" "The little Natalushka is grown big now; she is quite a woman." "A woman! She will marry an Englishman, and become very rich: is not that so?" "Natalie--I mean, Natalushka will not marry," said the other coldly. "She knows she is very useful to me. She knows I have no other." "_Maintenant_: the business--how goes that?"