Saracinesca

d machine-laid macadam; far from the foreigners' region, the varnish of the fashionable shops, the whirl of brilliant equipages, and th

Of the three enormous arched gates that give access to the interior from different sides, one is closed by an iron grating, another by huge doors studded with iron bolts, and the third alone is usually open as an entrance. A tall old porter used to stand there in a long livery-coat and a cocked-hat; on holidays he appeare

hat some care was bestowed upon maintaining it in good repair; but for any decoration there was to be found in the courts, the place might have been a fortress, as indeed it once was. The owners, father and son, lived in their ancestral home in a sort of solemn magnificence that savoured of feudal times. Giovanni was the only son of five-and-twenty years of wedlock. His mother had bee

ipated some kind of disagreement with his father. The two men were too much alike not to be congenial, but too combative by nature to care for eternal peace. On the present occasion it was likely that there would be

y years of life had not bent his strong frame nor dimmed the brilliancy of his eyes, but his hair and beard were snowy white. He was broader in the shoulder and deeper in the chest than Giovanni, but of the same height, and well proportioned still, with little tendency to stoutness. He was

the diamond pattern, and an old butler who moved noiselessly about in the performance of the functions he had exercised in the same room for forty years, and w

rain this afternoon,"

d," replied his son, civilly. "

her. "Are you less likely to take cold than

eason. I walk because I

p one if you wish t

to-morrow, lest I should again walk in the rain

go. Why do you talk about my

surd, I will not do so,

adicting me," said th

qua

d Giovanni. "Nothing could b

sipped a glass of wi

nd live like a gentleman?" he asked at length. "You ar

t a café when you

his father. "It is a bad habit. What was the use of your mother

m. "You know all that is a pretence. I am the most home-staying man of your acqu

wine on the table, Pasquale-and the fruit-here. Give Don Giovanni his cheese. I will ring for the coffee-leave us." The

should say," answere

piecemeal among a herd of dogs of starving relations you never heard of, merely because you are such a vagabond, such a Bohemian, s

s only surpassed by your good taste in describing the pro

contradict me!" exclaim

I can safely say so. Comm

not repeatedly refused to mar

sed, I do refuse, and I will refus

ave broken your silly neck in imitating Englishmen, and then-good nig

become the father of heirs to your titl

eath, at all events. Did you ever

pt you as soon as me. Marry by all means, and may you have a numerous progeny;

I should think you would have

Madame Mayer," int

he cares for nothing bu

oment ago, when you suggested that

uch a thing. I sai

er, of course," inter

cheese, but said nothing. Seeing that his son said nothing, old Saracinesca was silent too; he was so angry that he had lost the thread o

be glad if you will listen to me. In the first place, when I t

" growled t

oung as to be able wholly to disregard it. I do not desire to be hurried; for when I make up my mind, I intend to make a choice whi

aculated t

young and rich,

, who was nursing his wrath, and meanwhil

ness," said Giovanni, g

er. She is

red his father irrelevantl

not murder old Mayer. Nevertheless she is a widow. That is

nce, with a scornful laugh. "Leone Saracinesca married th

"Because three hundred years ago an ancestor married a widow, I am to marry one now. Wait-do not be angry

ite hair and beard bristled about his dark face, a

ho is too gay for him! Heaven be praised! We know his taste at last. We will give him a nun, a miracle of all the virtues, a little

" answered Giovanni, with cold scorn. "Your mirth

enseness of his gaze. Giovanni returned the look, and it seemed as though those two strong an

of man to be allowed to marry a young girl?"

is the most suitable one that I can find for you; and instead of being grateful, you turn upon me and refuse to do your dut

ultures you so tenderl

van

s a relation. The union of two such fortunes will be of immense advantage to your children. There is everything in favour of the match-nothing against it. You shall marry her a

asked Giovanni, cho

ll leave my house a mon

e, sa

ment for myself and living like a gentleman," returned Giovanni, with a bitter la

g about in society, to go where you please, to make love to-" the old man stopped a moment. H

d with a terrible

angry old man, his whole pent-up fury bursting out as he rose suddenly to his feet. "To whom but to Corona d'Astrardent

muscle, his face as the face of the dead. "You have said it, and in insulting that lady you have said a thing not

per, was an honest gentleman. "I never insulted, her-she is above suspicion. It is

was still deadly pale, but his hand was unclenched, and as he s

e with the Astrardente, and that he

tones. "I will consider this marriage you p

happened. He was far from being calm, but his son's sudden change of manner had disarmed his anger. He was passionate a

ll seriously consider the marriage. If it is possible for me to marry Donna Tullia,

pacified. "If you cannot make up your mind to the match, I may be able to find

i, quietly. He was still much agitated,

of Tuscan origin. What do you say to the little Rocca girl? She h

she would be

own money then; it

looked at his father. "I am sorry we always quarrel about this question," he said. "I do not reall

rince, with a pleasant smile. "I have

gh that was meant to be cheerful. "But I quite see your poin

o your future happiness," said the old ge

ture peace," returned

ery trace of anger had vanished. His strong face beamed with an

rdially. "We cannot afford to quar

refully peeled since he had grown calm. "If two men like you and me, my boy, can thorou

ero ruet," suggested Giovan

n my Latin, Giovanni,"

upside down, but j

s angry. But storms clear the sky

r that question of the timber has

her half-hour; and no one would have thought, in looking at them, that such fierce passions had been roused, nor that one of th

duration; for his mother had been a Spaniard, and something of the melancholy of her country had entered into his soul, giving depth and durability to the hot Italian character he inherited from his fath

ercome his instincts. It was true that, when occasion offered, he had permitted himself the pleasure of talking to Corona d'Astrardente-talking, he well knew, upon the most general subjects, but finding at each interview some new point of sympathy. Never, he could honestly say, had he approached in that time the subject of love, nor even the equally dangerous topic of friendship, the discussion of which leads to so many ruinous experiments. He had never by look or word sought to interest the dark Duchessa in his doings nor in himself; he had talked of books, of politics, of social questions, but never of himself nor of herself. He had faithfully kept the promise he had made in his heart, that since he was so unfortunate as to lo

bservers, the jays of society who hover about the eagle's nest, had not failed to observe a look of annoyance on Giovanni's face when he did not succeed in being alone by Corona's side for at least a few minutes; and Del Ferice, who was a sort of news-carrier in Rome, had now and then hinted that Giovanni was in love. People had repeated his hints, as he intended they

d imprudence, while wondering how it was possible that the story should have got abroad. He did not waver in his determination to hide his inclinations, to destroy the impression he had so unwillingly produced. The first means he found in his way seemed the best. To marry Donna Tullia at once, before the story of his affection for the Duchessa had gathered force, would, he thought, effectually shut the mouths of the gossips. From one point of view it was a nobl

the means to silence them, quickly and for ever. His eyes flashed suddenly at the idea of action-any action, even fighting, which might be distantly connecte

hin him; when every fibre of his strong frame quivered with the strain of passion; when his aching eyes saw only one face, and his ears echoed the words she had spoken that very afternoon! Propriety indeed! Propriety was good enough for cold-blooded dullards. Donna Tullia had done him no

fore Easter. That was a long time yet. He would consider it; and if by Eastertide he had forgotten Coron

he forget? Other men did

women, perhaps; that wa

or Donna Tullia. And ye

f one lo

not imagine himself tied to any one of them for life without conceiving the situation horrible in the extreme. To his independent nature the idea of such ties was repugnant: he knew himself too courteous to break through the civilities of life with a wife he

hand, and the blood upon its point, his opponent lying at his feet. Again, he thought he was alone in a vast drawing-room, and a dark woman came and spoke gently to him, saying, "Marry