noon
An increasing unwillingness to leave Pianura had replaced his former impatience to be gone . The reluctance to desert his friends was coupled with a boyish desire to stay and see the game out ; and behind all his other impulses lurked the instinctive resistance to any feminine influence save one . The next morning he half-expected another message from the Duchess ; but none came , and he judged her to be gravely offended . Cantapresto appeared early with the rumour that some kind of magical ceremony was to be performed that evening in the palace ; and toward noon the Georgian boy again came privately to Odo and requested him to wait on the Duke when his Highness rose from supper . This increased Odo 's fears for Gamba , Andreoni and the other reformers ; yet he dared neither seek them out in person nor entrust a message to Cantapresto . As the day passed , however , he began to throw off his apprehensions . It was not the first time since he had come to Pianura that there had been ominous talk of political disturbances , and he knew that Gamba and his friends were not without means of getting under shelter .