ably thought of the announcement I had made
at the banquet of my own approaching marriage, and strove to reconcile
it with the apparent inconsistency of my present observation. But he
was too discreet to utter his mind aloud--he merely said:

"No doubt you are right, eccellenza. Still one is glad to see the roses
bloom, and the stars shine, and the foam-bells sparkle on the waves--so
one is glad to see Lilla Monti."

I turned round in my chair to observe him more closely--the flush
deepened on his cheek as I regarded him. I laughed with a bitter
sadness.

"In love, amico, art thou? So soon!--three days--and thou hast fallen a
prey to the smile of Lilla! I am sorry for thee!"

He interrupted me eagerly.

"The eccellenza is in error! I would not dare--she is too innocent--she
knows nothing! She is like a little bird in the nest, so soft and
tender--a word of love would frighten her; I should be a coward to
utter it."

Well, well! I thought, what was the use of sneering at the poor fellow!
Why, because my own love had turned to ashes in my grasp, should I mock
at those who fancied they had found the golden fruit of the Hesperides?
Vincenzo, once a soldier, now half courier, half valet, was something
of a poet at heart; he had the grave meditative turn of mind common to
Tuscans, together with that amorous fire that ever burns under their
lightly worn mask of seeming reserve.

I roused myself to appear interested.

"I see, Vincenzo," I said, with a kindly air of banter, "that the sight
of Lilla Monti more than compensates you for that portion of the
Neapolitan carnival which you lose by being here. But why you should
wish me to behold this paragon of maidens I know not, unless you would
have me regret my own lost youth."

A curious and perplexed expression flitted over his face, At last he
said firmly, as though his mind were made up:

"The eccellenza must pardon me for seeing what perhaps I ought not to
have seen, but--"

"But what?" I asked.

"Eccellenza, you have not lost your youth."

I turned my head toward him again--he was looking at me in some
alarm--he feared some outburst of anger.

"Well!" I said, calmly. "That is your idea, is it? and why?"

"Eccellenza, I saw you without your spectacles that day when you fought
with the unfortunate Signor Ferrari. I watched you when you fired. Your
eyes are beautiful and terrible--the eyes of a young man, though your
hair is white."

Quietly I took off my g