ssina.
But I see nothing so sad in the story. Fanny to marry Peppino? Why not?
You yourself have told me that she is partly Catholic, and that her
father is only awaiting her marriage to have her baptized. She will be
happy then. Ardea will keep the magnificent palace we saw yesterday, and
the Baron will crown his career in giving to a man ruined on the Bourse,
in the form of a dowry, that which he has taken from others."

"Be silent," said the young girl, in a very grave voice, "you inspire me
with horror. That Ardea should have lost all scruples, and that he should
wish to sell his title of a Roman prince at as high a price as possible,
to no matter what bidder, is so much the more a matter of indifference,
for we Venetians do not allow ourselves to be imposed upon by the Roman
nobility. We all had Doges in our families when the fathers of these
people were bandits in the country, waiting for some poor monk of their
name to become Pope. That Baron Hafner sells his daughter as he once sold
her jewels is also a matter of indifference to me. But you do not know
her. You do not know what a creature, charming and enthusiastic, simple
and sincere, she is, and who will never, never mistrust that, first of
all, her father is a thief, and, then, that he is selling her like a
trinket in order to have grand-children who shall be at the same time
grandnephews of the Pope, and, finally, that Peppino does not love her,
that he wants her dowry, and that he will have for her as little feeling
as they have for her." She glanced at Madame Maitland. "It is worse than
I can tell you," she said, enigmatically, as if vexed by her own words,
and almost frightened by them.

"Yes," said Julien, "it would be very sad; but are you sure that you do
not exaggerate the situation? There is not so much calculation in life.
It is more mediocre and more facile. Perhaps the Prince and the Baron
have a vague project."

"A vague project?" interrupted Alba, shrugging her shoulders. "There is
never anything vague with a Hafner, you may depend. What if I were to
tell you that I am positive--do you hear--positive that it is he who
holds between his fingers the largest part of the Prince's debts, and
that he caused the sale by Ancona to obtain the bargain?"

"It is impossible!" exclaimed Dorsenne. "You saw him yourself yesterday
thinking of buying this and that object."

"Do not make me say any more," said Alba, passing over her brow and her
eyes two or