esteem, and their daughters do not so readily find husbands. The Italians
are fickle, the women say; they get soon tired of their wives after
marriage, and when they see much of ladies before marriage, they get tired
of them then, and never make them their wives. So it is much better to see
nothing of a possible husband till you actually have him. I do not think
conversazioni of any kind are popular with young men, however; they like
better to go to the caffe, and the people you meet at private houses are
none the less interesting for being old, or middle-aged. A great many of
the best families, at present, receive no company at all, and see their
friends only in the most private manner; though there are still cultivated
circles to which proper introduction gives the stranger (who has no
Austrian acquaintance) access. But unless he have thorough knowledge of
Italian politics localized to apply to Venice, an interest in the affairs,
fortunes, and misfortunes of his neighbors, and an acquaintance with the
Venetian dialect, I doubt if he will be able to enjoy himself in the
places so cautiously opened to him. Even in the most cultivated society,
the dialect is habitually spoken; and if Italian is used, it is only in
compliment to some foreigner present, for whose sake, also, topics of
general interest are sometimes chosen.

The best society is now composed of the families of professional men, such
as the advocates, the physicians, and the richer sort of merchants. The
shopkeepers, master-artisans, and others, whom industry and thrift
distinguish from the populace, seem not to have any social life, in the
American sense. They are wholly devoted to affairs, and partly from
choice, and partly from necessity, are sordid and grasping. It is their
class which has to fight hardest for life in Europe, and they give no
quarter to those above or below them. The shop is their sole thought and
interest, and they never, never sink it. But, since they have habits of
diligence, and, as far as they are permitted, of enterprise, they seem to