She was no longer his
intimate "Baldi," she was the revered "Maman."

"_Ebbene, Caro_, I'm glad you admit that so frankly," she continued,
taking her courage in both hands; "because it makes me feel that you
will be lenient if what I'm about to say jars on you very much. It's
this, _figlio mio_-- I want you to be very, very careful about your
attitude towards this lovely, unhappy woman. I see real danger for you
there, Marco--unless you are on your guard every moment of the time you
are with her. A woman feels such things intuitively--and intuition is a
very sure force, no matter what sceptics may say of it. I want you to
open your 'mind's eye' wide, my dear boy, and look this possibility
squarely in the face. Will you?"

Amaldi sat perfectly still. The only sign that he was moved in any way
was the cigarette which went out between his fingers, and which he put
to his lips now and then as if unaware that it was out. His mother
waited, rather nervous. Then he said quietly:

"I was just trying to see exactly what you meant, Maman. Do you mean
that you fear I may compromise Mrs. Chesney by undue attentions?"

The Marchesa felt discouraged, but her will upheld her.

"Not that alone, Marco," she said firmly, "though that might be one of
the consequences of what I fear for you. What I meant, in plain
language, since you force me to it, is that you may come to care too
much for her. There would be no issue to such a thing, Marco. You must
see that for yourself. I do you the honour," she added quickly, "of
supposing that your feeling for such a woman would be a serious one."

"_Grazie_," said Amaldi. His tone was perfectly respectful, but there
was a crisp note in it that hurt his mother. He was in truth deeply
indignant, not with her, but with himself, at the idea that his love for
Sophy was so transparently evident to observing eyes, when he had
thought it hidden in the utmost depths of his being. It was
excruciatingly painful and mortifying to him that even his mother should
touch on such a subject.

The Marchesa, in the meanwhile, was thinking very hard indeed. She was
years in advance of her day in many respects. For instance, she believed
that a serious union between a man and woman devotedly loving each
other, and determined to be true to that love, is as sacred and worthy a
thing, as really and wholly a "marriage," as any union made by priest or
law. The law of one's highest being she considered the highest law