ntonio," rejoined Salvator,--"at any rate I love the fair sex; but
there is not one, not even she on whom I foolishly dote, for whom I
would gladly die, but what excites in my heart, so soon as I think of a
union with her such as marriage is, a suspicion that makes me tremble
with a most unpleasant feeling of awe. That which is inscrutable in the
nature of woman mocks all the weapons of man. She whom we believe to
have surrendered herself to us entirely, heart and soul, whom we
believe to have unfolded all her character to us, is the first to
deceive us, and along with the sweetest of her kisses we imbibe the
most pernicious of poisons."

"And my Marianna?" asked Antonio, amazed.

"Pardon me, Antonio," continued Salvator, "even your Marianna, who is
loveliness and grace personified, has given me a fresh proof of how
dangerous the mysterious nature of woman is to us. Just call to mind
what was the behavior of that innocent, inexperienced child when we
carried her uncle home, how at a single glance from me she divined
everything--everything, I tell you, and, as you yourself admitted,
proceeded to play her part with the utmost sagacity. But that is not to
be at all compared with what took place on the occasion of Musso's
visit to the old gentleman. The most practised address, the most
impenetrable cunning,--in short, all the inventive arts of the most
experienced woman of the world could not have done more than little
Marianna did, in order to deceive the old gentleman with perfect
success. She could not have acted in any better way to prepare the
road for us for any kind of enterprise. Our feud with the cranky old
fool--any sort of cunning scheme seems justified, but--come, my dear
Antonio, never mind my fanciful crotchets, but be happy with your
Marianna; as happy as you can."

If a monk had taken his place beside Signor Pasquale when he set out
along with his niece to go to Nicolo Musso's theatre, everybody would
have thought that the strange pair were being led to execution. First
went valiant Michele, repulsive in appearance, and armed to the teeth;
then came Signor Pasquale and Marianna, followed by fully twenty
gendarmes.

Nicolo received the old gentleman and his lady with every mark of
respect at the entrance to the theatre, and conducted them to the seats
which had been reserved for them, immediately in front of the stage.
Signor Pasquale felt highly flattered by this mark of honour, and gazed
about him with