om the Duchessa to Donna Tullia. Corona spoke at once.

"Donna Tullia," she said, quietly, "I have the honour to offer you an
opportunity of explaining yourself."

Madame Mayer remained seated by the table, her face red with anger. She
leaned back in her seat, and half closing her eyes with a disagreeable
look of contempt, she addressed Giovanni.

"I am sorry to cause you such profound humiliation," she began, "but in
the interest of the Duchessa d'Astrardente I feel bound to speak. Don
Giovanni, do you remember Aquila?"

"Certainly," he replied, coolly--"I have often been there. What of it?"

Old Saracinesca stared from one to the other.

"What is this comedy?" he asked of Corona. But she nodded to him to be
silent.

"Then you doubtless remember Felice Baldi--poor Felice Baldi," continued
Donna Tullia, still gazing scornfully up at Giovanni from where she sat.

"I never heard the name, that I can remember," answered Giovanni, as
though trying to recall some memory of the past. He could not imagine
what she was leading to, but he was willing to answer her questions.

"You do not remember that you were married to her at Aquila on the 19th
of June--"

"I--married?" cried Giovanni, in blank astonishment.

"Signora Duchessa," said the Prince, bending his heavy brows, "what is
the meaning of all this?"

"I will tell you the meaning of it," said Donna Tullia, in low hissing
tones, and rising suddenly to her feet she assumed a somewhat theatrical
attitude as she pointed to Giovanni. "I will tell what it means. It means
that Don Giovanni Saracinesca was married in the church of San
Bernardino, at Aquila, on the 19th of June 1863, to the woman Felice
Baldi--who is his lawful wife to-day, and for aught we know the mother of
his children, while he is here in Rome attempting to marry the Duchessa
d'Astrardente--can he deny it? Can he deny that his own signature is
there, there in the office of the State Civile at Aquila, to testify
against him? Can he--?"

"Silence!" roared the Prince. "Silence, woman, or by God in heaven I will
stop your talking for ever!" He made a step towards her, and there was a
murderous red light in his black eyes. But Giovanni sprang forward and
seized his father by the wrist.

"You cannot silence me," screamed Donna Tullia. "I will be heard, and by
all Rome. I will cry it upon the housetops to all the world--"

"Then you will precipitate your confinement in the asylum of Santo
Spirito," s