Part 26 (2/2)

”Ma certamente! The evening will be much better! Is it not Byron who says that women, like stars, look best at night? You will find her the same as ever, perfectly well and perfectly charming. It must be her pure and candid soul that makes her face so fair! It may be a relief to your mind to know that I am the only man she has allowed to visit her during your absence!”

”Thank G.o.d for that!” cried Ferrari, devoutly, as he tossed off his wine. ”And now tell me, my dear conte, what baccha.n.a.lians are coming to-night? Per Dio, after all I am more in the humor for dinner than love-making!”

I burst out laughing harshly. ”Of course! Every sensible man prefers good eating even to good women! Who are my guests you ask? I believe you know them all. First, there is the Duca Filippo Marina.”

”By Heaven!” interrupted Guido. ”An absolute gentleman, who by his manner seems to challenge the universe to disprove his dignity! Can he unbend so far as to partake of food in public? My dear conte, you should have asked him that question!”

”Then,” I went on, not heeding this interruption, ”Signor Fraschetti and the Marchese Giulano.”

”Giulano drinks deep'.” laughed Ferrari, ”and should he mix his wines, you will find him ready to stab all the waiters before the dinner is half over.”

”In mixing wines,” I returned, coolly, ”he will but imitate your example, caro mio.”

”Ah, but I can stand it!” he said. ”He cannot! Few Neapolitans are like me!”

I watched him narrowly, and went on with the list of my invited guests.

”After these, comes the Capitano Luigi Freccia.”

”What! the raging fire-eater?” exclaimed Guido. ”He who at every second word raps out a pagan or Christian oath, and cannot for his life tell any difference between the two!”

”And the ill.u.s.trious gentleman Crispiano Dulci and Antonio Biscardi, artists like yourself,” I continued.

He frowned slightly--then smiled.

”I wish them good appet.i.tes! Time was when I envied their skill--now I can afford to be generous. They are welcome to the whole field of art as far as I am concerned. I have said farewell to the brush and palette--I shall never paint again.”

True enough! I thought, eying the shapely white hand with which he just then stroked his dark mustache; the same hand on which my family diamond ring glittered like a star. He looked up suddenly.

”Go on, conte I am all impatience. Who comes next?”

”More fire-eaters, I suppose you will call them,” I answered, ”and French fire-eaters, too. Monsieur le Marquis D'Avencourt, and le beau Capitaine Eugene de Hamal.”

Ferrari looked astonished. ”Per Bacco!” he exclaimed. ”Two noted Paris duelists! Why--what need have you of such valorous a.s.sociates? I confess your choice surprises me.”

”I understood them to be YOUR friends,” I said, composedly. ”If you remember, YOU introduced me to them. I know nothing of the gentlemen beyond that they appear to be pleasant fellows and good talkers. As for their reputed skill I am inclined to set that down to a mere rumor, at any rate, my dinner-table will scarcely provide a field for the display of swordsmans.h.i.+p.”

Guido laughed. ”Well, no! but these fellows would like to make it one--why, they will pick a quarrel for the mere lifting of an eyebrow.

And the rest of your company?”

”Are the inseparable brother sculptors Carlo and Francesco Respetti, Chevalier Mancini, scientist and man of letters, Luziano Sal.u.s.tri, poet and musician, and the fascinating Marchese Ippolito Gualdro, whose conversation, as you know, is more entrancing than the voice of Adelina Patti. I have only to add,” and I smiled half mockingly, ”the name of Signor Guido Ferrari, true friend and loyal lover--and the party is complete.”

”Altro! Fifteen in all including yourself,” said Ferrari, gayly, enumerating them on his fingers. ”Per la madre di Dio! With such a goodly company and a host who entertains en roi we shall pa.s.s a merry time of it. And did you, amico, actually organize this banquet, merely to welcome back so unworthy a person as myself?”

”Solely and entirely for that reason,” I replied.

He jumped up from his chair and clapped his two hands on my shoulders.

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