"That one?" he said. "Why, that is the _signorino_ of the second floor, a _bel ragazzo_--is it not true, _monsignore_?"
The Montefiano establishment always gave the Abbé Roux the title of _monsignore_, not being quite clear as to what an abbé might be.
"Ah, of course," returned the abbé, "the _signorino_ of the second floor"--and he followed Silvio's retreating form with his eyes.
"_Un bel ragazzo davvero--proprio bello!_" he continued, giving Silvio a prolonged look, as the latter turned the angle of the staircase, and enabled the abbé to see his face distinctly. "He is always in Rome?" he inquired, carelessly.
"Yes, the Signorino Rossano was living at home now," the porter declared. "He was a very quiet young man--_molto serio_. Indeed, he, the porter, had never seen him engaged in any adventures, unless--"
"Unless--what?" asked the abbé, smiling. "A young man cannot be expected to be always _molto serio_," he added, leniently.
"_Sicuro!_ especially so handsome a lad as the _signorino_. Naturally the women made up to him. The French mademoiselle who came to the _principessina_, for instance; he had met the _signorino_ and her walking together--oh, more than once. Not that there was anything in it, probably--for it was in the daytime he had met them--in the morning, indeed--and who wanted to make love on an empty stomach?"
The Abbé Roux checked the porter's garrulity with a slight gesture, and appeared to take but little interest in the matter.
Nevertheless, as he left Palazzo Acorari he wondered whether by any chance this young Rossano could be the individual he was looking for. His personal appearance answered to Monsieur d'Antin's description of Donna Bianca's lover--and what more probable than that the two had met repeatedly in this way in and out of the _palazzo_, and had managed to communicate with each other? The Frenchwoman, of course! She had been the channel of communication! The abbé thought that he must have been very dull not to think at once of so simple an explanation of the affair. But he had momentarily forgotten that Professor Rossano's son was living at home. He had heard all about Silvio, and knew that he was an engineer who was rapidly making a considerable reputation for himself in his profession.