hen they actually arrived at the
main discussion.

"You are aware, San Miniato mio," she was saying, "that my poor husband
was a very rich man, and you are of course familiar--you who know
everything--with the laws of inheritance in our country. As our dear
Beatrice is an only child, the matter would have been simple, even if he
had not made a will. I should have had my widow's portion and she would
have had all the rest, as she ultimately will."

"Of course, dearest Marchesa. I understood that. But it is most kind of
you to tell me about the details. In Beatrice's interest--and her
interests will of course be my first concern in life--"

"Of course, carissimo," said the Marchesa, interrupting him. "Can I
doubt it? Should I have chosen you out of so many to be my son-in-law if
I had not understood from the first all the nobility and uprightness of
your fine character?"

"How good you are to me!" exclaimed San Miniato, who mistrusted the
preamble, but was careful not to show it.

"Not at all, dear friend! I am never good. It is such horrible trouble
to be either good or bad, as you would know if you had my nerves. But we
were speaking of my poor husband's will. One half of his fortune of
course he was obliged to leave to his daughter. He could dispose of the
other half as he pleased. I believe it was that admirable man, the first
Napoleon, who invented that just law, was it not? Yes, I was sure. My
husband left the other half to me, provided I should not marry--he was a
very thoughtful man! But if I did, the money was to go to Beatrice at
once. If I did not, however, I was--as I really am--quite free to
dispose of it as I pleased."

"How very just!" exclaimed San Miniato.

"Do you think so? Yes. But further, I wish to tell you that he set aside
a sum out of what he left Beatrice, to be her dowry--just a trifle, you
know, to be paid to her husband on the marriage, as is customary. But
all the remainder, compared with which the dowry itself is
insignificant, does not pass into her hands until she is of age, and of
course remains entirely in her control."

"I understand," said San Miniato in a tone which betrayed some
nervousness in spite of his best efforts to be calm, for he had
assuredly not understood before.

"Of course you understand, dearest friend," answered the Marchesa. "You
are so clever and you have such a good head for affairs, which I never
had. I assure you I never could understand anything about m