We will go back to Milan.'
Some hours necessarily elapsed before they could leave the hotel,
by the first train in the forenoon.
In that interval, Mrs. Norbury's maid found an opportunity of
confidentially informing the valet of what had passed between her
mistress and herself. The valet had other friends to whom he related
the circumstances in his turn. In due course of time, the narrative,
passing from mouth to mouth, reached the ears of the manager.
He instantly saw that the credit of the hotel was in danger,
unless something was done to retrieve the character of the room
numbered Fourteen. English travellers, well acquainted with the peerage
of their native country, informed him that Henry Westwick and
Mrs. Norbury were by no means the only members of the Montbarry family.
Curiosity might bring more of them to the hotel, after hearing
what had happened. The manager's ingenuity easily hit on the obvious
means of misleading them, in this case. The numbers of all the rooms
were enamelled in blue, on white china plates, screwed to the doors.
He ordered a new plate to be prepared, bearing the number, '13 A';
and he kept the room empty, after its tenant for the time being had
gone away, until the plate was ready.
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