DI NOLLI. The conviction would appear to have derived from certain strange remarks which he made, a little before mother died. DOCTOR. Oh, remarks!... Ah!... It would be extremely useful for me to have those remarks, word for word, if possible. DI NOLLI. I can't remember them. I know that mother returned awfully upset from her last visit with him. On her death-bed, she made me promise that I would never neglect him, that I would have doctors see him, and examine him. DOCTOR. Um! Um! Let me see! let me see! Sometimes very small reasons determine ... and this portrait here then?... DONNA MATILDA. For Heaven's sake, doctor, don't attach excessive importance to this. It made an impression on me because I had not seen it for so many years! DOCTOR. If you please, quietly, quietly.... DI NOLLI. --Well, yes, it must be about fifteen years ago. DONNA MATILDA. More, more: eighteen! DOCTOR. Forgive me, but you don't quite know what I'm trying to get at. I attach a very great importance to these two portraits.... They were painted, naturally, prior to the famous--and most regretable pageant, weren't they? DONNA MATILDA. Of course! DOCTOR. That is ... when he was quite in his right mind--that's what I've been trying to say. Was it his suggestion that they should be painted? DONNA MATILDA. Lots of the people who took part in the pageant had theirs done as a souvenir.... BELCREDI. I had mine done--as "Charles of Anjou!" DONNA MATILDA. ...as soon as the costumes were ready. BELCREDI. As a matter of fact, it was proposed that the whole lot of us should be hung together in a gallery of the villa where the pageant took place. But in the end, everybody wanted to keep his own portrait. DONNA MATILDA. And I gave him this portrait of me without very much regret ... since his mother.... (_indicates Di Nolli_). DOCTOR. You don't remember if it was he who asked for it? DONNA MATILDA. Ah, that I don't remember ... Maybe it was his sister, wanting to help out.... DOCTOR. One other thing: was it his idea, this pageant? BELCREDI (_at once_). No, no, it was mine! DOCTOR. If you please.... DONNA MATILDA. Don't listen to him! It was poor Belassi's idea. BELCREDI. Belassi! What had he got to do with it? DONNA MATILDA. Count Belassi, who died, poor fellow, two or three months after.... BELCREDI. But if Belassi wasn't there when.... DI NOLLI. Excuse me, doctor; but is it really necessary to establish whose the original idea was? DOCTOR. It would help me, certainly!