She held up the document and then read it out—­the copy of the curate’s register, stating that on the 19th of June 1863 Giovanni Saracinesca and Felice Baldi were united in holy matrimony in the church of San Bernardino da Siena.  She handed the paper to the Prince, and then read the extract from the register of the Civil marriage and the notary’s attestation to the signatures.  She gave this also to old Saracinesca, and then folding her arms in a fine attitude, confronted the three.

“Are you satisfied that I spoke the truth?” she asked, defiantly.

“The thing is certainly remarkably well done,” answered the old Prince, who scrutinised the papers with a puzzled air.  Though he knew perfectly well that his son had been in Canada at the time of this pretended marriage, he confessed to himself that if such evidence had been brought against any other man, he would have believed it.

“It is a shameful fraud!” exclaimed Corona, looking at the papers over the old man’s shoulder.

“That is a lie!” cried Donna Tullia, growing scarlet with anger.

“Do not forget your manners, or you will get into trouble,” said Giovanni, sternly.  “I see through the whole thing.  There has been no fraud, and yet the deductions are entirely untrue.  In the first place, Donna Tullia, how do you make the statements here given to coincide with the fact that during the whole summer of 1863 and during the early part of 1864 I was in Canada with a party of gentlemen, who are all alive to testify to the fact?”

“I do not believe it,” answered Madame Mayer, contemptuously.  “I would not believe your friends if they were here and swore to it.  You will very likely produce witnesses to prove that you were in the arctic regions last summer, as the newspapers said, whereas every one knows now that you were at Saracinesca.  You are exceedingly clever at concealing your movements, as we all know.”

Giovanni did not lose his temper, but calmly proceeded to demonstrate his theory.

“You will find that the courts of law will accept the evidence of gentlemen upon oath,” he replied, quietly.  “Moreover, as a further evidence, and a piece of very singular proof, I can probably produce Giovanni Saracinesca and Felice Baldi themselves to witness against you.  And I apprehend that the said Giovanni Saracinesca will vehemently protest that the said Felice Baldi is his wife, and not mine.”

“You speak in wonderful riddles, but you will not deceive me.  Money will doubtless do much, but it will not do what you expect.”

“Certainly not,” returned Giovanni, unmoved by her reply.  “Money will certainly not create out of nothing a second Giovanni Saracinesca, nor his circle of acquaintances, nor the police registers concerning him which are kept throughout the kingdom of Italy, very much as they are kept here in the Pontifical States.  Money will do none of these things.”

While he was speaking, his father and the Duchessa listened with intense interest.