“I remember them all,” he continued.  “Old Montevarchi, and Frangipani, and poor Casalverde—­and a score of others.”

He had been on the point of mentioning old Astrardente, too, but checked himself.

“Then there were the young ones, who are in middle age now,” he went on, “such as Valdarno and the Montevarchi whom you know, as different from their former selves as you can well imagine.  Society was different too.”

Del Ferice spoke thoughtfully and slowly, as though wishing that some one would interrupt him or take up the subject, for he felt that his wife’s long story about Spicca and the antiquary had not been a success, and his instinct told him that Spicca had better not be mentioned again, since he was a friend of Orsino’s and since his name seemed to exert a depressing influence on Maria Consuelo.  Orsino came to the rescue and began to talk of current social topics in a way which showed that he was not so profoundly prejudiced by traditional ideas as Del Ferice had expected.  The momentary chill wore off quickly enough, and when the dinner ended Donna Tullia was sure that it had been a success.  They all returned to the drawing-room and then Del Ferice, without any remark, led Orsino away to smoke with him in a distant apartment.

“We can smoke again, when we go back,” he said.  “My wife does not mind and Madame d’Aranjuez likes it.  But it is an excuse to be alone together for a little while, and besides, my doctor makes me lie down for a quarter of an hour after dinner.  You will excuse me?”

Del Ferice extended himself upon a leathern lounge, and Orsino sat down in a deep easy-chair.

“I was so sorry not to be able to come away with you to-day,” said Orsino.  “The truth is, Madame d’Aranjuez wanted some information and I was just going to explain that I would stay a little longer, when you asked us both to dinner.  You must have thought me very forgetful.”

“Not at all, not at all,” answered Del Ferice.  “Indeed, I quite supposed that you were coming with me, when it struck me that this would be a much more pleasant place for talking.  I cannot imagine why I had not thought of it before—­but I have so many details to think of.”

Not much could be said for the veracity of either of the statements which the two men were pleased to make to each other, but Orsino had the small advantage of being nearer to the letter, if not to the spirit of the truth.  Each, however, was satisfied with the other’s tact.

“And so, Don Orsino,” continued Del Ferice after a short pause, “you wish to try a little operation in business.  Yes.  Very good.  You have, as we said yesterday, a sum of money ample for a beginning.  You have the necessary courage and intelligence.  You need a practical assistant, however, and it is indispensable that the point selected for the first venture should be one promising speedy profit.  Is that it?”

“Precisely.”