la of Cetinale. With the exception of our host and
of two young painters, also his guests, we see no one, so, for lack
of other material, I will describe these young men. The elder is a
conceited prankish fop, if no worse, called Giovanni Bazzi, and why
his comrade, Raphael Santi, should hold him in affection I can by
no means understand, unless the vulgar saying be indeed true that
love goes by contraries. In presenting Raphael to us our host
assured my uncle that though as a painter he is as yet unknown he
is destined to make for himself a great career. But to these
eulogies of Chigi's I scarcely listened, my attention being held by
the charm of the artist's personality. Though he said but little,
his eyes were eloquent, and a smile of heavenly sweetness lighted
from time to time the gravity of his thoughtful face.

"At our host's insistence Bazzi showed one of his paintings--a
Madonna and Child--which I scarce regarded until Raphael praised
its excellencies, boldly defending the painting from my uncle's
strictures.

"While he spoke so eloquently I made a feint of examining the
picture and was indeed moved by the love which overflowed it, the
Madonna caressing her babe and he in turn petting a little lamb;
but my uncle pished and poohed, saying that this sentimentality was
but a feeble reflection of his master Da Vinci; and our host cut
the discussion short by demanding that Raphael should show his own
work. This he could not be persuaded to do, modestly persisting
that he had naught worthy of our consideration, though he promised
later to show us a Sposalizio upon which he was engaged but which
was not then finished.

"With all this, I have not related the circumstance which at once
put us upon the familiar footing of old acquaintanceship. It was
Chigi's chance remark that Raphael was a native of Urbino, where he
had been a favourite with all those choice spirits who make your
brother's court the most brilliant in Italy.

"And when I demanded of Raphael if he knew you and he told me of
your goodness to him, and how you were held in love and admiration
of all, then it was that our common affection for your ladyship
made us to feel that we had known each other from the time that we
first knew you.

"It is true that he did not boast