I was curious to hear if anything passed between him and the signorina, but I was pounced upon by Donna Antonia, the daughter of the minister of finance, who happened to be present, notwithstanding the late hour, as a guest of the signorina's for the night.

She was a handsome young lady, a Spanish brunette of the approved pattern, but with manners formed at a New York boarding school, where she had undergone a training that had tempered, without destroying, her native gentility.

She had distinguished me very favorably, and I was vain enough to suppose she honored me by some jealousy of my _penchant_ for the signorina.
"I hope you have enjoyed yourself in the conservatory," she said maliciously.
"We were talking business, Donna Antonia," I replied.
"Ah! business! I hear of nothing but business.

There is papa gone down to the country and burying himself alive to work out some great scheme of business." I pricked up my ears.
"Ah! what scheme is that ?" I asked.
"Oh, I don't know! Something about that horrid debt.

But I was told not to say anything about it!" The debt was becoming a bore.