she checked herself, hardly knowing why.

'I was very tired that night, after moving to the palace,' she said
calmly. 'My husband spoke of a noise in the street, but I must have been
more than half asleep.'

But Altieri had seen her start and did not believe a word of what she
said. He was partially satisfied, however, since she chose to take no
notice of a scandalous affray which might easily have reflected on her
own good name. He laughed again.

'As it was such a miserable failure, I am glad you were not awake to
hear it,' he said. 'It was intended as a welcome, as an expression of my
profound and devoted admiration, in which I hope you will believe now,
though you were asleep that evening!'

'Your admiration is exaggerated, sir,' Ortensia answered with a light
laugh, 'but if, by devotion, you mean friendliness to my husband and
myself, I accept it for him and for me with all my heart!'

'I am grateful to your ladyship,' said Don Alberto in the same jesting
tone, 'but, with your leave, I distinguish, as they taught me to say in
the schools when I was nearly entrapped into a fallacy by a clever
antagonist!'

'But I am neither your antagonist nor clever,' objected Ortensia,
fencing gaily; 'therefore you need not make any fine distinctions!'

The young man changed his manner and tone with really dramatic effect;
his face grew suddenly grave, his voice was sad, and he gazed into
Ortensia's eyes with a wistful lover-like expression that women rarely
resisted.

'You are unkind,' he said. 'You know what such words mean to me, and you
say them willingly, meaning to hurt me--as you do!'

It was so well done that Ortensia was deceived, as well she might be,
seeing how young she was, though years counted not then as they do with
us, and every girl of fourteen was taught to be on her defence against
men of every age and station.

'I did not mean to be unkind,' Ortensia said incautiously.

'Then pity me!' he cried with a sudden burst of real or affected
passion. 'Are you blind, or are you cruel? Or are you only heartless? I
do not believe that you were not at the window the other night! Your
lips say one thing, your eyes another! You were looking down, you saw
me wounded by that villain, and you listened to his master's serenade
till I came back with the watch, only to be defeated a second time by a
brace of hired fencing-masters! No! It was not out of friendship for
your husband, I confess it frankly, it was for lov