noon
There was not another animal to be had in the town , horse or mule , that could be put to a wheeled vehicle -- not one ! The gentleman might hire a riding-horse or two , but the innkeeper had been told that he had a lady and her tire-woman with him . Patience ! A day would soon pass , Ferrara was a fine town , well worth seeing , and he could go on to-morrow morning in the Bologna coach , which would arrive from that city at noon to-day . Clearly there was not the smallest possibility of being able to get on during the next twenty-four hours . Stradella 's face was very grave as he turned away , and Cucurullo was paler than before . Upstairs Ortensia had wakened just then and had called Pina , who got up and opened the window wide , letting in the air with the morning sun .