Chapter XIThey came in, out of the wind and the cold, through the main entrance of the Gritti Palace Hotel, into the light and warmth of the lobby.
'Good evening, Contessa,' the concierge said. 'Good evening, my Colonel. It must be cold outside.'
'It is,' the Colonel said, and did not add any of the rough or obscene phrases about the extent of the cold, or the force of the wind, that he could ordinarily have employed, for their mutual pleasure when speaking, alone, with the concierge.
As they entered the long hallway that led to the big stairs and to the elevator, leaving, on your right, the entrance to the bar, the doorway on to the Grand Canal, and the entrance to the dining-room, the Gran Maestro came out of the bar.
He was wearing a formal white jacket, cut long, and he smiled at t
