thing would be to
discover what became of Felice Baldi--Donna Felice Saracinesca, as I
suppose she has a right to be called."

"Let us find her--Giovanni's wife," exclaimed Donna Tullia, eagerly.
"Where can she be?"

"Who knows?" ejaculated Del Ferice. "I would be curious to see her. The
name of her native village is given, and the names of her parents.
Giovanni described himself in the paper as 'of Naples, a landholder,' and
omitted somehow the details of his parentage. Nothing could be more
vague; everybody is a landholder, from the wretched peasant who
cultivates one acre to their high-and-mightinesses the Princes of
Saracinesca. Perhaps by going to the village mentioned some information
might be obtained. He probably left her sufficiently provided for, and,
departing on pretence of a day's journey, never returned. He is a
perfectly unscrupulous man, and thinks no more of this mad scrape than of
shooting a chamois in the Tyrol. He knows she can never find him--never
guessed who he really was."

"Perhaps she is dead," suggested Donna Tullia, her face suddenly growing
grave.

"Why? He would not have taken the trouble to kill her--a peasant girl in
the Abruzzi! He would have had no difficulty in leaving her, and she is
probably alive and well at the present moment, perhaps the mother of the
future Prince Saracinesca--who can tell?"

"But do you not see," said Donna Tullia, "that unless you have proof that
she is alive, we have no hold upon him? He may acknowledge the whole
thing, and calmly inform us that she is dead."

"That is true; but even then he must show that she came to a natural end
and was buried. Believe me, Giovanni would relinquish all intentions of
marrying the Astrardente rather than have this scandalous story
published."

"I would like to tax him with it in a point-blank question, and watch his
face," said Donna Tullia, fiercely.

"Remember your oath," said Del Ferice. "But he is gone now. You will not
meet him for some months."

"Tell me, how could you make use of this knowledge, if you really wanted
to prevent his marriage with the Astrardente?"

"I would advise you to go to her and state the case. You need mention
nobody. Any one who chooses may go to Aquila and examine the registers. I
think that you could convey the information to her with as much command
of language as would be necessary."

"I daresay I could," she answered, between her teeth. "What a strange
chance it was that brou