She died young." Ferrari glanced at me with an evil sneer in his eyes.
"That was fortunate," he said.

"She had no time to tire of her husband, else--who knows ?" My blood rose rapidly to an astonishing heat, but I controlled myself.
"I do not understand you," I said, with marked frigidity.

"The lady I speak of lived and died under the old regime of noblesse oblige.

I am not so well versed in modern social forms of morality as yourself." Nina hastily interposed.

"Oh, my dear conte," she said, laughingly, "pay no attention to Signor Ferrari! He is rash sometimes, and says very foolish things, but he really does not mean them.