And why did they interfere?--the devil have them
all in his keeping! Because all the world agrees to believe that
such springalds as the Duca di Lodi can't take care of themselves.
Because it is considered that the titles and acres of such, if not
their persons, should be protected against--against the impulses of
their warm hearts, shall we say? Now, do you think that the world
would consider any such protection necessary in the case of the
Marchese Lamberto? Would any governors, or fathers, or uncles, or
aunts, or commissaries, interfere to prevent him from doing as he
pleased in such a matter?"
"No, I suppose not!" replied Bianca, thoughtfully; "but if no father
or uncle did, a nephew might. It is always the way; people get out
of the leading-strings put on them by their elders, only to be
entangled in others wound round them by their sons and daughters and
nephews and nieces! The poor old man is beguiled. We must prevent
him from making such a fool of himself! And the interference is all
the worse. and the more fatal, because the poor old man would not
only make a fool of himself, but beggars of his protectors."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed old Quinto Lalli with a quiet, almost
noiseless laugh; "it is very well and shrewdly said, bambina mia.
But between the two times of interference, my Bianca, there is a
happy medium; an intervening space, a high table-land, we may say,
after the dominion of fathers and uncles has been escaped from, and
before that of sons and nephews begins--a short time, during which a
man may and can please himself.
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