nest man, a _galantuomo_? By heaven, Signor Pandolfi, I
would have you know that Gasparo Carnesecchi never asked a favour of any
man! Do you understand? Let us speak clearly."

"Who has said anything?" asked Marzio. "Why do you heat yourself in this
way? And then, after all, we shall arrange this affair. You wish it. I
wish it. Why should it not be arranged? If five thousand does not suit
you, name a sum. We are Christians--we will doubtless arrange. But we
must talk. How much should you think, Sor Gasparo?"

"I have said it. As I told you just now, I have always said that I would
not marry with less than eighteen thousand francs of dowry. What is the
use of repeating? Words are not roasted chestnuts."

"Nor eighteen thousand francs either," answered the other. "Magari! I
wish they were. You should have them in a moment. But a franc is a
franc."

"I did not say it was a cabbage," observed Carnesecchi. "After all, why
should I marry?"

"Perhaps you will not," suggested Marzio, who was encouraged to continue
the negotiations, however, by the diminution in the lawyer's demands.

"Why not?" asked the latter sharply, "Do you think nobody else has
daughters?"'

"If it comes to that, why have you not married before?"

"Because I did not choose to marry," answered Carnesecchi, beginning to
walk more briskly, as though to push the matter to a conclusion.

Marzio said nothing in reply. He saw that his friend was pressing him,
and understood that, to do so, the lawyer must be anxious to marry
Lucia. The chiseller therefore feigned indifference, and was silent for
some minutes. At the foot of the steps of the Capitol he stopped again.

"You know, Sor Gasparo," he said, "the reason why I did not arrange
about Lucia's marriage a long time ago, was because I was not
particularly in a hurry to have her married at all. And I am not in a
hurry now, either. We shall have plenty of opportunities of discussing
the matter hereafter. Good-bye, Sor Gasparo. I have business up there,
and that client of yours is perhaps impatient about his millions."

"Good-bye," answered Carnesecchi. "There is plenty of time, as you say.
Perhaps we may meet this evening at the Falcone."

"Perhaps," said Marab drily, and turned away.

He had a good understanding of his friend's character, and though in his
present mood he would have been glad to fix the wedding day, and sign
the marriage contract at once, he had no intention of yielding to
Carnese