Astrardente watched him keenly, and as he noticed the indifference of Saracinesca's look, he gave a curious little snuffling snort that was peculiar to him.

He could have sworn that neither his wife nor Giovanni had shown the smallest interest in each other.

He was satisfied.

His wife was above suspicion, as he always said; but he was an old man, and had seen the world, and he knew that however implicitly he might trust the noble woman who had sacrificed her youth to his old age, it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that she might become innocently interested, even unawares, in some younger man--in some such man as Giovanni Saracinesca-and he thought it worth his while to watch her.

His little snort, however, was indicative of satisfaction.
Corona had not winced at the mention of the marriage, and had nodded with the greatest unconcern to the man as he passed.
"Ah, Donna Tullia!" he cried, as he returned their greeting, "you are preventing Don Giovanni from mounting; the riders will be off in a moment." Being thus directly addressed, there was nothing to be done but to stop and exchange a few words.