Your fears are excited by your affection for
your uncle. I doubt whether many nephews in your position, Signor
Marchese, would feel as much anxiety about the health of an uncle
whose heirs they were; not that I mean, of course, Signor, to
insinuate that you are dependent on your uncle," added Bianca, who
felt considerable curiosity to know how matters stood in the
Castelmare family in this respect.
"Faith, though, I am dependent on him," returned Ludovico, with the
most careless frankness. "I have not a bajocco in the world but what
comes to me from him. But lo zio is more generous than uncles often
are to their nephews who are to be their heirs. And I am in no hurry
to succeed to him, I assure you."
"I am sure that would not be in your nature in any case, Signor
Ludovico," returned Bianca; "but there is some excuse for those
being in a hurry whose future depends on the caprice of old people,"
she added, fishing for further information.
"But my future does depend upon his caprice--in one way, at all
events. Suppose my uncle should take it into his head to marry, and
have a family. There is nothing to prevent him. Many an older man
than he by a great deal has done so. And if that were to happen,
there is not a beggar in all Ravenna who is a poorer man than I
should be. Only that lo zio is about the most unlikely man to marry
in all Italy, it is a thing that might happen any day.
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