CARDINAL BEMBO AND HIS VILLA 



directions as to his clothes and food, begging her above 

 all to see that the boy was not allowed to walk too 

 early. Unfortunately the marriage had not proved 

 altogether happy. The Cardinal was sorely disturbed 

 to hear of his son-in-law's indiscretions, and could 

 only recommend the young wife to be patient and 

 gentle herself, while he begged Marcella to be kind 

 to la poverina. At his request, however, Elisabetta 

 Quirini spoke seriously to Pietro on the subject, and 

 did this with so much tact that the young man actually 

 listened to her advice. After the birth of a second 

 child, in August 1546, the young couple again spent 

 the autumn at the Villa, to Elena's delight and her 

 father's great satisfaction. 



"I am thankful," he wrote to Gian Matteo in 

 October, " to hear what you say of my son-in-law, 

 and especially to know that he and his wife are happy 

 together. You may imagine how much I envy them 

 for being at the Villa for the vintage, but as long 

 as they are enjoying themselves, I shall be quite 

 content." And to Pietro he wrote : " I can see you 

 and Elena to-day at the Villa, enjoying this sweet and 

 delicious time of year, and must own that I feel very 

 envious." * The thought of his darling child spending 

 these sunny autumn days under the grape-laden vines, 

 on the banks of the swift-flowing Brenta, revived old 

 1 Letter e> iv. 105, 107. 



163 



