Now, it seems to me, that your
Marchese--pardon me for the anticipation, it is a mere figure of
speech, your Marchese di Castelmare, I say, seems to me to be just
in that happy position!"
"I don't know that, I have not seen enough to be sure about that
yet. That young fellow, the Marchese Ludovico, does not look to me a
likely sort of man to stand by quietly and see himself cut out of
houses and lands! And besides,--it strikes me--"
"Speak out your thought, bambina mia; I am sure it is one worth
hearing. And between us, you know--"
"Well, between ourselves then," continued Bianca; while a smile,
half of mockery and half of pleasure, writhed her lips into changing
outlines, each more bewitchingly pretty than the other, and her eyes
were turned away from Quinto to a contemplation of the slender
dainty foot peeping out from beneath her dress, as she lay on the
sofa; "between ourselves, papa mio, from one or two small
observations, which I chanced to make to-day, it strikes me that the
Marchese Ludovico might possibly feel other additional objections to
the establishment of any such relations, as you are contemplating
between me and his uncle, besides the likelihood that they might be
the means of cutting him out of his heirship."
"Ha, I see, I see; nothing more likely! Per Dio, bambina mia, you
lose no time! Brava la Bianca! And perhaps I may conclude, from one
or two small observations that I have been able to make myself, you
would prefer to win on the nephew! Eh, cara mia" said the old man,
looking at her with a sly smile.
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