He had got up, and slowly paced up and down through the darkening room. "That is to say, I do not care to throw away my money, and the first experiment has miserably failed. Her reluctance to see the boy was decided enough, and she will not even discover a trace of likeness; says he is the type of the Roman peasants, such as are found at Albano, and Tivoli, and everywhere. Not even his beauty will she allow. There is no soul in the countenance, only the commonplace, brilliant stamp of a strong, sensual nature. And to that she holds with an obstinacy which she has never shown in anything else. It seems that the mother's instinct cannot be deceived. Bah! what deception cannot be carried out, if a man only sets about it in the right way! I have been too hasty, that is what has startled her. I must allow that I have been, too sanguine, must play at resignation, and then perhaps like a woman, out of sheer caprice, she will come round herself-- "What is it, François?" "The lady in black, monsieur." "Once for all, she is to be shown in to me by the other passage." "They are working in the other passage to-day, monsieur." "Never mind. You will take her back by the other passage." "Very well, monsieur; can she come in?" "One moment. Madame dines at home. I dine out, at Herr von Wallbach's--the carriage for me at half-past five. Let madame know, and that at a quarter-past five I will come and take leave of her. Has Signor Antonio been here in the course of the day?" "No, monsieur." "No one else is to be admitted. Let the lady come in." Giraldi did not get up as the lady entered, and now only gave her a sign to take a place near him at the writing-table. "I was expecting you. How are we getting on?" "No better than on the first day." "That is bad." "It is very wearisome," said Bertalda, throwing back her veil, "very wearisome. I have come to tell you so; I am sick of the whole thing." She lay back in her chair, with a look of ill-humour, knocking the tips of her boots against each other. "Bah!" said Giraldi, "how much do you want?" and he stretched out his hand to a casket which stood before him on the table. "I want nothing," said Bertalda. "I told you at once, the first time you sought me out, that I only did it out of pity for poor Werben, and because I have a weakness for him, and because I wish to annoy that fine Philip, who behaved so abominably to Victorine, and I wish from my heart that his sister should be no better." "I have told you already that it was not from Herr Schmidt that I learnt that Herr von Werben is visiting you again." "Then you heard it from Count Golm, and I cannot abide him; he will have to wait a long time before I give him a good word, and now----"