There was a pause. Ferrari raised himself slightly from his reclining position and seemed about to speak, but apparently changing his mind he remained silent--his face had somewhat paled. The momentary hesitation among my guests pa.s.sed quickly. All present, except Guido, broke out into a chorus of congratulations, mingled with good-humored jesting and laughter.

"Say farewell to jollity, conte!" cried Chevalier Mancini; "once drawn along by the rustling music of a woman's gown, no more such feasts as we have had to-night!"

And he shook his head with tipsy melancholy.

"By all the G.o.ds!" exclaimed Gualdro, "your news has surprised me! I should have thought you were the last man to give up liberty for the sake of a woman. ONE woman, too! Why, man, freedom could give you twenty!"

"Ah!" murmured Sal.u.s.tri, softly and sentimentally, "but the one perfect pearl--the one flawless diamond--"

"Bah! Sal.u.s.tri, caro mio, you are half asleep!" returned Gualdro. "'Tis the wine talks, not you. Thou art conquered by the bottle, amico. You, the darling of all the women in Naples, to talk of one! Buona notte, bambino!"

I still maintained my standing position, leaning my two hands on the table before me.

"What our worthy Gualdro says," I went on, "is perfectly true. I have been noted for my antipathy to the fair s.e.x. I know it. But when one of the loveliest among women comes out of her way to tempt me--when she herself displays the matchless store of her countless fascinations for my attraction--when she honors me by special favors and makes me plainly aware that I am not too presumptuous in venturing to aspire to her hand in marriage--what can I do but accept with a good grace the fortune thrown to me by Providence? I should be the most ungrateful of men were I to refuse so precious a gift from Heaven, and I confess I feel no inclination to reject what I consider to be the certainty of happiness. I therefore ask you all to fill your gla.s.ses, and do me the favor to drink to the health and happiness of my future bride."

Gualdro sprung erect, his gla.s.s held high in the air; every man followed his example, Ferrari rose to his feet with some unsteadiness, while the hand that held his full champagne gla.s.s trembled.

The Duke di Marina, with a courteous gesture, addressed me: "You will, of course, honor us by disclosing the name of the fair lady whom we are prepared to toast with all befitting reverence?"

"I was about to ask the same question," said Ferrari, in hoa.r.s.e accents--his lips were dry, and he appeared to have some difficulty in speaking. "Possibly we are not acquainted with her?"

"On the contrary," I returned, eying him steadily with a cool smile.

"You all know her name well! Ill.u.s.trissimi Signori!" and my voice rang out clearly--"to the health of my betrothed wife, the Contessa Romani!"

"Liar!" shouted Ferrari--and with all a madman's fury he dashed his br.i.m.m.i.n.g gla.s.s of champagne full in my face! In a second the wildest scene of confusion ensued. Every man left his place at table and surrounded us. I stood erect and perfectly calm--wiping with my handkerchief the little runlets of wine that dripped from my clothing--the gla.s.s had fallen at my feet, striking the table as it fell and splitting itself to atoms.

"Are you drunk or mad, Ferrari?" cried Captain de Hamal, seizing him by the arm--"do you know what you have done?"

Ferrari glared about him like a tiger at bay--his face was flushed and swollen like that of a man in apoplexy--the veins in his forehead stood out like knotted cords--his breath came and went hard as though he had been running. He turned his rolling eyes upon me. "d.a.m.n you!" he muttered through his clinched teeth--then suddenly raising his voice to a positive shriek, he cried, "I will have your blood if I have to tear your heart for it!"--and he made an effort to spring upon me. The Marquis D'Avencourt quietly caught his other arm and held it as in a vise.

"Not so fast, not so fast, mon cher" he said, coolly. "We are not murderers, we! What devil possesses you, that you offer such unwarrantable insult to our host?"

"Ask HIM!" replied Ferrari, fiercely, struggling to release himself from the grasp of the two Frenchmen--"he knows well enough! Ask HIM!"

All eyes were turned inquiringly upon me. I was silent.

"The n.o.ble conte is really not bound to give any explanation," remarked Captain Freccia--"even admitting he were able to do so."

"I a.s.sure you, my friends," I said, "I am ignorant of the cause of this fracas, except that this young gentleman had pretensions himself to the hand of the lady whose name affects him so seriously!"

For a moment I thought Ferrari would have choked.

"Pretensions--pretensions!" he gasped. "Gran Dio! Hear him!--hear the miserable scoundrel!"

"Ah, basta!" exclaimed Chevalier Mancini, scornfully--"Is that all? A mere bagatelle! Ferrari, you were wont to be more sensible! What!

quarrel with an excellent friend for the sake of a woman who happens to prefer him to you! Ma che! Women are plentiful--friends are few."

"If," I resumed, still methodically wiping the stains of wine from my coat and vest--"if Signor Ferrari's extraordinary display of temper is a mere outcome of natural disappointment, I am willing to excuse it. He is young and hotblooded--let him apologize, and I shall freely pardon him."

"By my faith!" said the Duke di Marina with indignation, "such generosity is unheard of, conte! Permit me to remark that it is altogether exceptional, after such ungentlemanly conduct."

Ferrari looked from one to the other in silent fury. His face had grown pale as death. He wrenched himself from the grasp of D'Avencourt and De Hamal.

"Fools! let me go!" he said, savagely. "None of you are on my side--I see that!" He stepped to the table, poured out a gla.s.s of water and drank it off. He then turned and faced me--his head thrown back, his eyes blazing with wrath and pain.

"Liar!" he cried again, "double-faced accursed liar! You have stolen HER--you have fooled ME--but, by G-d, you shall pay for it with your life!"

"Willingly!" I said, with a mocking smile, restraining by a gesture the hasty exclamations of those around me who resented this fresh attack--"most willingly, caro signor! But excuse me if I fail to see wherein you consider yourself wronged. The lady who is now my fiancee has not the slightest affection for you--she told me so herself. Had she entertained any such feelings I might have withdrawn my proposals--but as matters stand, what harm have I done you?"

A chorus of indignant voices interrupted me. "Shame on you, Ferrari!"

cried Gualdro. "The count speaks like a gentleman and a man of honor.

Were I in his place you should have had no word of explanation whatever. I would not have condescended to parley with you--by Heaven I would not!"

"Nor I!" said the duke, stiffly.

"Nor I!" said Mancini.

"Surely," said Luziana Sal.u.s.tri, "Ferrari will make the amende honorable."

There was a pause. Each man looked at Ferrari with some anxiety. The suddenness of the quarrel had sobered the whole party more effectually than a cold douche. Ferrari's face grew more and more livid till his very lips turned a ghastly blue--he laughed aloud in bitter scorn.

Then, walking steadily up to me, with his eyes full of baffled vindictiveness, he said, in a low clear tone:

"You say that--you say she never cared for me--YOU! and I am to apologize to you! Thief, coward, traitor--take that for my apology!"

And he struck me across the mouth with his bare hand so fiercely that the diamond ring he wore (my diamond ring) cut my flesh and slightly drew blood. A shout of anger broke from all present! I turned to the Marquis D'Avencourt.

"There can be but one answer to this," I said, with indifferent coldness. "Signor Ferrari has brought it on himself. Marquis, will you do me the honor to arrange the affair?"

The marquis bowed, "I shall be most happy!"

Ferrari glared about him for a moment and then said, "Freccia, you will second me?"

Captain Freccia shrugged his shoulders. "You must positively excuse me," he said. "My conscience will not permit me to take up such a remarkably wrong cause as yours, cara mio! I shall be pleased to act with D'Avencourt for the count, if he will permit me." The marquis received him with cordiality, and the two engaged in earnest conversation. Ferrari next proffered his request to his quondam friend De Hamal, who also declined to second him, as did every one among the company. He bit his lips in mortification and wounded vanity, and seemed hesitating what to do next, when the marquis approached him with frigid courtesy and appeared to offer him some suggestions in a low tone of voice--for after a few minutes' converse, Ferrari suddenly turned on his heel and abruptly left the room without another word or look. At the same instant I touched Vincenzo, who, obedient to his orders, had remained an impa.s.sive but evidently astonished spectator of all that had pa.s.sed, and whispered--"Follow that man and do not let him see you." He obeyed so instantly that the door had scarcely closed upon Ferrari when Vincenzo had also disappeared. The Marquis D'Avencourt now came up to me.

"Your opponent has gone to find two seconds," he said. "As you perceived, no one here would or could support him. It is a most unfortunate affair."

"Most unfortunate," chorused De Hamal, who, though not in it, appeared thoroughly to enjoy it.

"For my part," said the Duke di Marina, "I wonder how our n.o.ble friend could be so lenient with such a young puppy. His conceit is insufferable!"

Others around me made similar remarks, and were evidently anxious to show how entirely they were on my side. I however remained silent, lest they should see how gratified I was at the success of my scheme. The marquis addressed me again:

"While awaiting the other seconds, who are to find us here," he said, with a glance at his watch, "Freccia and I have arranged a few preliminaries. It is now nearly midnight. We propose that the affair should come off in the morning at six precisely. Will that suit you?"

I bowed.

"As the insulted party you have the choice of weapons. Shall we say--"

"Pistols," I replied briefly.