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WHENwearrivedatthePalazzoOrsi,manyoftheguestshadalreadycome.Matteowasimmediatelysurroundedbyhisfriendsandascoreofladiesbeckonedtohimfromdifferentpartsoftheroom,sothathewastornawayfromme,leavingmeratherdisconsolatealoneinthecrowd.PresentlyIwasattractedtoagroupofmentalkingtoawomanwhomIcouldnotseeMatteohadjoinedthem,andtheywerelaughingatsomethinghehadsaid.IhadturnedawaytolookatotherpeoplewhenIheardMatteocallingme.
'Filippo,'hesaid,comingtowardsme,'comeandbeintroducedtoDonnaGiuliashehasaskedmetopresentyou.'
Hetookmebythearm,andIsawthattheladyandheradmirerswerelookingatme.
'She'snobetterthansheshouldbe,'hewhisperedinmyear'butshe'stheloveliestwomaninForli!'
'Allowmetoaddanothertoyourcircleofadorers,DonnaGiulia,'saidMatteo,aswebothbowed—'MesserFilippoBrandolini,likemyself,asoldierofdistinction.'
Isawagracefullittlewoman,dressedinsomeOrientalbrocadeasmallface,withquitetinyfeatures,largebrowneyes,whichstruckmeatthefirstglanceasverysoftandcaressing,amassofdark,reddish-brownhair,andafascinatingsmile.
'WewereaskingMatteowherehiswoundswere,'shesaid,smilingonmeverygraciously.'Hetellsustheyareallintheregionofhisheart.'
'Inthatcase,'Ianswered,'hehascometoamoredeadlybattlefieldthananywesawduringthewar.'
'Whatwar?'askedagentlemanwhowasstandingby.'Nowadaysweareinthehappystateofhavingtendifferentwarsinasmanypartsofthecountry.'
'IwasservingundertheDukeofCalabria,'Ireplied.
'Inthatcase,yourbattleswerebloodless.'
'Wecame,wesaw,andtheenemydecamped,'saidMatteo.
'Andnow,takingadvantageofthepeace,youhavecometotroubletheheartsofForli,'saidDonnaGiulia.
'Whoknowshowusefulyourswordsmaynotbehere!'remarkedayoungman.
'Bequiet,Nicolo!'saidanother,andtherewasanawkwardsilence,duringwhichMatteoandIlookedatoneanotherinsurpriseandtheneveryoneburstouttalking,sothatyoucouldnothearwhatwassaid.
MatteoandIbowedourselvesawayfromDonnaGiulia,andhetookmetoChecco,standinginagroupofmen.
'Youhaverecoveredfromyourfatigue?'heaskedkindly.
'Youhavebeentravelling,Matteo?'saidoneofthecompany.
'Yes,werodesixtymilesyesterday,'hereplied.
'Sixtymilesononehorseyoumusthavegoodsteedsand