contadina

— The mellowest lamplight and the easiest chair had been placed at his disposal by Baptiste—subtlest of servants; the novel half uncut, the novel lemon-coloured and tender, with the ivory knife athwart it like a dagger in a contadina's hair, had been pushed within the soft circle—a circle which, for some reason, affected Strether as softer still after the same Baptiste had remarked that, in the absence of a further need of anything by Monsieur, he would betake himself to bed.