and I am bound for the sake of decency to attend his last
moments. Rather protracted last moments they threaten to be too, but
the lawyers say I had better be present, as the old man may take it
into his head to disinherit me at the final gasp. I suppose I shall not
be absent long--a fortnight at most--and in the meanwhile--"

Here he hesitated and looked at me anxiously.

"Continue, caro mio, continue!" I said with some impatience. "If I can
do anything in your absence, you have only to command me."

He rose from his chair, and approaching the window where I sat in a
half-reclining position, he drew a small chair opposite mine, and
sitting down, laid one hand confidingly on my wrist.

"You can do much!" he replied, earnestly, "and I feel that I can
thoroughly depend upon you. Watch over HER! She will have no other
protector, and she is so beautiful and careless! You can guard
her--your age, your rank and position, the fact of your being an old
friend of the family--all these things warrant your censorship and
vigilance over her, and you can prevent any other man from intruding
himself upon her notice--"

"If he does," I exclaimed, starting up from my seat with a mock tragic
air, "I will not rest till his body serves my sword as a sheath!"

And I laughed loudly, clapping him on the shoulder as I spoke. The
words were the very same he had himself uttered when I had witnessed
his interview with my wife in the avenue. He seemed to find something
familiar in the phrase, for he looked confused and puzzled. Seeing
this, I hastened to turn the current of his reflections. Stopping
abruptly in my mirth, I assumed a serious gravity of demeanor, and said:

"Nay, nay! I see the subject is too sacred to be jested with--pardon my
levity! I assure you, my good Ferrari, I will watch over the lady with
the jealous scrutiny of a BROTHER--an elderly brother too, and
therefore one more likely to be a model of propriety. Though I frankly
admit it is a task I am not specially fitted for, and one that is
rather distasteful to me, still, I would do much to please you, and
enable you to leave Naples with an easy mind I promise you"--here I
took his hand and shook it warmly--"that I will be worthy of your trust
and true to it, with exactly the same fine loyalty and fidelity you
yourself so nobly showed to your dead friend Fabio! History cannot
furnish me with a better example!"

He started as if he had been stung, and every drop of bloo