"Well then; that is not very promising ground to build on, is it, bambina mia!" replied Quinto. "It may be, that as far as the man himself is concerned, the match that has been made for him would be rather the reverse of a difficulty in the way," rejoined Bianca. "But the difficulty will not come from the man himself, cara mia! It would be doing you wrong to suppose that to be at all likely. I don't suppose it; but--do you imagine that the Cardinal Legate will permit you to snatch his niece's proposed husband from out of her mouth! It would be a worse job than the other," said Quinto, shaking his head emphatically. "So that you are all for the uncle, papa mio?" rejoined Bianca; yawning, as if she were tired of discussing the subject. "Well, I confess it seems to my poor judgment the better scheme, and indeed a very promising scheme. Depend upon it, my child, an old man, who is his own master, is the better and safer game," replied Quinto. "Very well! Have at the old man then, as you call him; though, as I have told you, Quinto, he is not an old man--not over forty-five I should say; at all events the right side of fifty, I'd wager anything! But I tell you fairly, that a less promising subject I never saw. A man, who has lived till that age a bachelor, though the head of his family,--and a bachelor of the out-and-out moral and respectable sort, mind you,--the great friend of the Cardinal; trustee to nunneries, and all that sort of thing!--a man who looks at you and speaks to you as if he was a master of ceremonies presenting a Duchess to a Queen,--a man, I should say, who had never cared for a woman in his life, and was very unlikely to begin to do so now," said Bianca, yawning again as she finished speaking.