midday
`` Good-night , Bianca , '' said the Marchese , taking the hand she held out to him , and retaining it in his own for some instants , despite his intention of specially abstaining from any demonstration of the kind -- `` Good-night , Bianca . We shall meet to-morrow morning . '' `` Yes , on business , '' said Bianca , looking up into his face with a sad smile . `` Signor Ercole said he should be here at midday . '' And then the Marchese left her , and , carefully shunning the more frequented parts of the city , returned to his own home . One Struggle more The Marchese reached the Palazzo Castelmare unobserved by any one , save old Quinto Lalli , who had been for some time past watching the door of his adopted daughter from a neighbouring corner , in order to ascertain when he might go home to his bed without infringing the order that had been given him . `` And what do you think of it now , papa mio ? ''