Alpha Book

"
"Tigers have yellow eyes," observed Madame d'Aragona.
"My acquaintance with that animal is at second hand--slight, to say the
least."
"You have never shot one?"
"Never, Madame. They do not abound in Rome--nor even, I believe, in
Albano. My father killed one when he was a young man."
"Prince Saracinesca?"
"Sant' Ilario. My grandfather is still alive."
"How splendid! I adore strong races."
"It is very interesting," observed Gouache, poking the stick of a brush
into the eye of his picture. "I have painted three generations of the
family, I who speak to you, and I hope to paint the fourth if Don Orsino
here can be cured of his cynicism and induced to marry Donna--what is
her name?" He turned to the young man.
"She has none--and she is likely to remain nameless," answered Orsino
gloomily.
"We will call her Donna Ignota," suggested Madame d'Aragona.
"And build altars to the unknown love," added Gouache.
Madame d'Aragona smiled faintly, but Orsino persisted in looking grave.


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