I glanced at him coldly, and addressed my answer to my wife.
"Signor Ferrari is perfectly right," I said, bending over her, and speaking in a low tone; "I am often ungallant enough to avoid the society of mere women, but, alas! I have no armor of defense against the smile of an angel." And I bowed with a deep and courtly reverence.

Her face brightened--she adored her own loveliness, and the desire of conquest awoke in her immediately.

She took a glass of wine from my hand with a languid grace, and fixed her glorious eyes full on me with a smile.
"That is a very pretty speech," she said, sweetly, "and it means, of course, that you will come to-morrow.

Angels exact obedience! Gui--, I mean Signor Ferrari, you will accompany the conte and show him the way to the villa ?" Ferrari bent his head with some stiffness.

He looked slightly sullen.
"I am glad to see," he observed, with some petulance, "that your persuasions have carried more conviction to the Conte Oliva than mine.
To me he was apparently inflexible." She laughed gayly.