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.” 1 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 Lettere, iv. 105, 107. 
163 
