“Satisfaction!” cried Donna Tullia.  “Do you call it satisfaction to cut a man’s throat?  What was the real cause of the quarrel?”

“I do not know.”

“Do not tell me that—­I do not believe you,” answered Donna Tullia, angrily.

“I give you my word of honour that I do not know,” returned the Prince.

“That is different.  Will you get in and drive with me for a few minutes?”

“At your commands.”  Saracinesca opened the carriage-door and got in.

“We shall astonish the world; but I do not care,” said Donna Tullia.  “Tell me, is Don Giovanni seriously hurt?”

“No—­a couple of scratches that will heal in a week.  Del Ferice is very seriously wounded.”

“I know,” answered Donna Tullia, sadly.  “It is dreadful—­I am afraid it was my fault.”

“How so?” asked Saracinesca, quickly.  He had not heard the story of the forgotten waltz, and was really ignorant of the original cause of disagreement.  He guessed, however, that Donna Tullia was not so much concerned in it as the Duchessa d’Astrardente.

“Your son was very rude to me,” said Madame Mayer.  “Perhaps I ought not to tell you, but it is best you should know.  He was engaged to dance with me the last waltz but one before the cotillon.  He forgot me, and I found him with that—­with a lady—­talking quietly.”

“With whom did you say?” asked Saracinesca, very gravely.

“With the Astrardente—­if you will know,” returned Donna Tullia, her anger at the memory of the insult bringing the blood suddenly to her face.

“My dear lady,” said the old Prince, “in the name of my son I offer you the humble apologies which he will make in person when he is well enough to ask your forgiveness.”

“I do not want apologies,” answered Madame Mayer, turning her face away.

“Nevertheless they shall be offered.  But, pardon my curiosity, how did Del Ferice come to be concerned in that incident?”

“He was with me when I found Don Giovanni with the Duchessa.  It is very simple.  I was very angry—­I am very angry still; but I would not have had Don Giovanni risk his life on my account for anything, nor poor Del Ferice either.  I am horribly upset about it all.”

Old Saracinesca wondered whether Donna Tullia’s vanity would suffer if he told her that the duel had not been fought for anything which concerned her.  But he reflected that her supposition was very plausible, and that he himself had no evidence.  Furthermore, and in spite of his good-natured treatment of Giovanni, he was very angry at the thought that his son had quarrelled about the Duchessa.  When Giovanni should be recovered from his wounds he intended to speak his mind to him.  But he was sorry for Donna Tullia, for he liked her in spite of her eccentricities, and would have been satisfied to see her married to his son.  He was a practical man, and he took a prosaic view of the world.  Donna Tullia was rich, and