He had no intention of answering any questions.  If the Cardinal knew of the meetings in the Via San Basilio, that was not Gouache’s fault; Gouache would certainly not give any further information.  The statesman had expected as much, and was not at all surprised at the young man’s silence.

“One of those young gentlemen seems to have met his match, at all events,” he remarked, presently.  “I am sorry it should have come about in that way.”

“Your Eminence might easily have prevented the duel.”

“I knew nothing about it,” answered the Cardinal, glancing keenly at Anastase.

“Nor I,” said the artist, simply.

“You see my information is not always so good as people imagine, my friend.”

“It is a pity,” remarked Gouache.  “It would have been better had poor Del Ferice been killed outright.  The matter would have terminated there.”

“Whereas—­”

“Whereas Del Ferice will naturally seek an occasion for revenge.”

“You speak as though you were a friend of Don Giovanni’s,” said the Cardinal.

“No; I have a very slight acquaintance with him.  I admire him, he has such a fine head.  I should be sorry if anything happened to him.”

“Do you think Del Ferice is capable of murdering him?”

“Oh no!  He might annoy him a great deal.”

“I think not,” answered the Cardinal, thoughtfully.  “Del Ferice was afraid that Don Giovanni would marry Donna Tullia and spoil his own projects.  But Giovanni will not think of that again.”

“No; I suppose Don Giovanni will marry the Duchessa d’Astrardente.”

“Of course,” replied the Cardinal.  For some minutes there was silence.  Gouache, while busy with his pencil, was wondering at the interest the great man took in such details of the Roman social life.  The Cardinal was thinking of Corona, whom he had seen but half an hour ago, and was revolving in his mind the advantages that might be got by allying her to Giovanni.  He had in view for her a certain Serene Highness whom he wished to conciliate, and whose circumstances were not so splendid as to make Corona’s fortune seem insignificant to him.  But on the other hand, the Cardinal had no Serene Highness ready for Giovanni, and feared lest he should after all marry Donna Tullia, and get into the opposite camp.

“You are from Paris, Monsieur Gouache, I believe,” said the Cardinal at last.

“Parisian of the Parisians, your Eminence.”

“How can you bear to live in exile so long?  You have not been to your home these four years, I think.”

“I would rather live in Rome for the present.  I will go to Paris some day.  It will always be a pleasant recollection to have seen Rome in these days.  My friends write me that Paris is gay, but not pleasant.”

“You think there will soon be nothing of this time left but the recollection of it?” suggested the Cardinal.