"I suppose so. But Casalverde certainly meant no harm; and if Del Ferice had not been so unlucky as to forget himself in the excitement of the moment, no one would have thought anything of it." "Ah yes, I suppose not," murmured Astrardente, still looking after the girl. When he could see her face no longer, he turned sharply back to Valdarno. "This is exceedingly interesting," he said. "Tell me more about it." "Well, when it was over, old Saracinesca was for killing Casalverde himself." "The old fire-eater! He ought to be ashamed of himself." "However, Spicca was before him, and challenged Casalverde then and there. As both the principals in the first duel were so badly wounded, it had to be put off until this morning." "They went out, and--piff, paff! Spicca ran him through," interrupted Astrardente. "What a horrible tragedy!" "Ah yes; and what is worse--" "What surprises me most," interrupted the Duca again, "is that in this delightfully peaceful and paternally governed little nest of ours, the authorities should not have been able to prevent either of these duels. It is perfectly amazing! I cannot remember a parallel instance. Do you mean to say that there was not a _sbirro_ or a _gendarme_ in the neighbourhood to-day nor yesterday?" "That is not so surprising," answered Valdarno, with a knowing look. "There would have been few tears in high quarters if Del Ferice had been killed yesterday; there will be few to-day over the death of poor Casalverde." "Bah!" ejaculated Astrardente. "If Antonelli had heard of these affairs he would have stopped them soon enough." Valdarno glanced behind him, and, bending a little, whispered in Astrardente's ear-- "They were both Liberals, you must know." "Liberals?" repeated the old dandy, with a cynical sneer. "Nonsense, I say! Liberals? Yes, in the way you are a Liberal, and Donna Tullia Mayer, and Spicca himself, who has just killed that other Liberal, Casalverde. Liberals indeed! Do you flatter yourself for a moment that Antonelli is afraid of such Liberals as you are? Do you think the life of Del Ferice is of any more importance to politics than the life of that dog there?"