In doing all this he had no intention of injuring either Gouache or Faustina.  He perceived clearly enough that their love affair could not come to any good termination, and as his interests were now very closely bound up with those of the Montevarchi, it seemed wisest to break off the affair by any means in his power, without complicating matters by speaking to Gouache or to Faustina’s father or mother.  He knew enough of human nature to understand that Gouache would be annoyed at losing the chance of a meeting, and he promised himself to watch the two so carefully as to be able to prevent other clandestine interviews during the next few days.  If he could once sow the seeds of a quarrel between the two, he fancied it would be easy to break up the relations.  Nothing makes a woman so angry as to wait for a man who has promised to meet her, and if he fails to come altogether her anger will probably be very serious.  In the present case he supposed that Faustina would go to the church, but that Gouache, being warned that he was not to come, would not think of keeping the tryst.  The scheme, if not profound, was at least likely to produce a good deal of trouble between the lovers.

San Giacinto returned to the Palazzo Saracinesca, but he found only the old prince at home, though he prolonged his visit in the hope of seeing Corona or Sant’ Ilario.

“By the bye,” he said, as he and his companion sat together in the prince’s study, “I remember that you were so good as to say that you would let me see those family papers some day They must be very interesting and I would be glad to avail myself of your offer.”

“Certainly,” replied Saracinesca “They are in the Archives in a room of the library It is rather late now Do you mind waiting till to-morrow?”

“Not in the least, or as long as you like.  To tell the truth, I would like to show them to my future father-in-law, who loves archaeology.  I was talking about them with him yesterday.  After all, however, I suppose the duplicates are at the Cancelleria, and we can see them there.”

“I do not know,” said the prince, carelessly, “I never took the trouble to inquire.  There is probably some register of them, or something to prove that they are in existence”

“There must be, of course.  Things of that importance would not be allowed to go unregistered, unless people were very indifferent in those days”

“It is possible that there are no duplicates.  It may be that there is only an official notice of the deed giving the heads of the agreement.  You see it was a friendly arrangement, and there was supposed to be no probability whatever that your great-grandfather would ever marry.  The papers I have are all in order and legally valid, but there may have been some carelessness about registering them.  I cannot be sure.  Indeed it is thirty years at least since I looked at the originals.”

“If you would have them taken out some time before I am married, I should be glad to see them, but there is no hurry.  So all this riot and revolution has meant something after all,” added San Giacinto to change the subject “Garibaldi has taken Monte Rotondo, I hear to-day.”