impatiently. "I know, but I had forgotten. I am not
young enough to keep the dates of these follies in my memory. What
letters have you there?"

He handed me a small tray full of different shaped missives, some from
fair ladies who "desired the honor of my company," others from
tradesmen, "praying the honor of my custom," all from male and female
toadies as usual, I thought contemptuously, as I turned them over, when
my glance was suddenly arrested by one special envelope, square in form
and heavily bordered with black, on which the postmark "Roma" stood out
distinctly. "At last!" I thought, and breathed heavily. I turned to my
valet, who was giving the final polish to my breakfast cup and saucer:

"You may leave the room, Vincenzo," I said, briefly. He bowed, the door
opened and shut noiselessly--he was gone.

Slowly I broke the seal of that fateful letter; a letter from Guido
Ferrari, a warrant self-signed, for his own execution!

"My best friend," so it ran, "you will guess by the 'black flag' on my
envelope the good news I have to give you. My uncle is dead AT LAST,
thank God! and I am left his sole heir unconditionally. I am free, and
shall of course return to Naples immediately, that is, as soon as some
trifling law business has been got through with the executors. I
believe I can arrange my return for the 23d or 24th instant, but will
telegraph to you the exact day, and, if possible, the exact hour. Will
you oblige me by NOT announcing this to the countess, as I wish to take
her by surprise. Poor girl! she will have often felt lonely, I am sure,
and I want to see the first beautiful look of rapture and astonishment
in her eyes! You can understand this, can you not, amico, or does it
seem to you a folly? At any rate, I should consider it very churlish
were I to keep YOU in ignorance of my coming home, and I know you will
humor me in my desire that the news should be withheld from Nina, How
delighted she will be, and what a joyous carnival we will have this
winter! I do not think I ever felt more light of heart; perhaps it is
because I am so much heavier in pocket. I am glad of the money, as it
places me on a more equal footing with HER, and though all her letters
to me have been full of the utmost tenderness, still I feel she will
think even better of me, now I am in a position somewhat nearer to her
own. As for you, my good conte, on my return I shall make it my first
duty to pay back with interest the rathe