"Number One is the greater number; if I assisted Number Two it would become the ."
 
 
Signor Ferrari was a gentleman who knew how to make himself comfortable; and, in order to do so, his in a most spendthrift fashion. At present he was receiving a very handsome salary for his singing in Sultana Fatima, therefore he denied himself nothing in the way of luxury. He was a true Bohemian in every action of his life, and accepted his fluctuating fortunes with the utmost . If he fared badly on dry bread and water one day, he was hopeful of and the next; and when the feast of Dives was before him, made the most of it in eating and drinking, so as to recompense himself for all future , which would be the lot of poverty-stricken Lazarus.
 
While his voice lasted he was well aware that he could command an excellent income which satisfied him completely; for when he grew old and songless he was quite prepared to return to Italy, and live there the happy-go-lucky life of his youth on polenta and sour wine. In his southern fashion he loved Mrs. Belswin madly; but, strangely enough, it never for a moment occurred to him to save money against his possible marriage with her. If he starved, she would starve; if he made money, she would share it; and if she objected to such a chequered existence, Signor Ferrari was quite confident enough in his own powers of will and to be satisfied that he could force her to accept his view of the matter. This was the Ferrari philosophy, and no bad one either as times go, seeing that a singer's depends upon the caprice of the public. As long as he could get enough to eat, be the food rich or plain, a smoke, and plenty of sleep, the world could go hang for all he cared. He lived in the present, never thought about the past, and let the future take care of itself; so altogether managed to through life in a , selfish manner egotistical in fashion.
 
At present, being in the of life, he was dining with Dives, which was happiness enough in itself; but, in order that nothing should be wanting to complete his felicity, he had received a letter from Mrs. Belswin, telling him of her arrival. Under these circumstances he had nothing left to wish for, and lounging on the sofa in his in a state of blissful contentment awaited the coming of his fair friend.
 
"Buõno," said the signor, with smiling satisfaction, folding up the letter and putting it in his pocket, "the singing-bird returns to its nest. This time I will clip its wings, so that it flies not again. Per Bacco, the kind heart of Stephano surprises himself, for who would let his bird fly as he has done? But I fear not the , offspring of suspicion. Ecco! she loves but me, and comes again to the nest. And what a nest! Cospetto! My Lucrezia will be hard to please if she likes not this palazzo del amor."
 
It was a very pretty nest indeed, from a lodging-house point of view, although its of colouring and furnishing would have driven an artist out of his mind; but then the signor was not in the way of effect, and, provided his was fairly comfortable, felt completely satisfied. Lying on the sofa, he looked at the furniture, covered with painfully bright blue satin, at the curtains, the green wall-paper, and at all the wax flowers, Berlin wool mats, and gimcrack with which the room was . Ferrari had added to this splendid furnishing an excellent piano for professional purposes, and numerous photographs, principally feminine, of his friends; so that he conceived himself to be housed in a princely fashion.
 
It was three o'clock by the incorrect French timepiece on the tawdry mantelpiece, and Ferrari was getting somewhat impatient, as Mrs. Belswin had mentioned two o'clock as the time of her arrival; but with his accustomed philosophy he manifested no anger at the delay.
 
"La Donna é mobile," he hummed, shrugging his shoulders, as he strolled towards the piano. "Women are always late; it is one of their charming . Ah! EH! EE! Diavolo! my voice is bad this day. These English fogs are down my throat Ah! Eh! EE! Dio! What a note! Voce del oca.
 
 
"Ask not the stars the fate they deal.
Read in my eyes the love I feel."
 
 
"That's a good song, that serenade to Fatima. It shows off my voice. I'll sing it to exercise my high notes."
 
He did so, and was just in the middle of the first verse when Mrs. Belswin made her appearance, upon which he stopped , and came forward to greet her with effusion.
 
"Stella dora! once more you shine," he cried, seizing her hands, with a look in his dark eyes. "Oh, my life! how dear it is to see thee again."
 
"You missed me then, Stephano?" said Mrs. Belswin, sinking wearily into a chair.
 
"Missed thee, carissima!" exclaimed the Italian, throwing himself on his knees before her and kissing her hand; "by this, and this, and this again, I swear that all has been dark to me without the light of thine eyes. But you will not leave me again, angela mia. Thou hast come back for ever to be my wife."
 
Mrs. Belswin drew her hand away sharply and frowned, for in her present state of mind the exaggerated manner of Ferrari jarred on her nerves.
 
"Do be sensible, Stephano," she said in a tone. "You are always ."
 
"How can that be acting, cruel one, which is the truth?" replied Ferrari, reproachfully, rising from his knees. "Thou knowst my love, and yet when I speak you are cold. Eh, Donna Lucrezia, is your heart changed?"
 
"My heart as It always was, my friend; but I've come up to see you on business----"
 
"Oh, business!" interrupted Stephano, suspiciously. "Cospetto! You want once more to leave me."
 
"For a time; yes."
 
"Oh, for a time; yes!" echoed Ferrari, mockingly. "Amica mia, you have a strange way of speaking to him who adores you. Dio, you play with me like a child. I love you, and wish you for my wife. You say 'yes,' and depart for a time. Now return you to me and again say, 'Stephano, I leave you for a time.'"
 
"I made no promise to be your wife," said Mrs. Belswin, angrily, "nor will I do so unless you help me now."
 
"Help you! and in what way? Has the little daughter been cruel? You wish me to speak as father to her."
 
"I wish you to do nothing of the sort. My daughter is quite well, and I was happy with her."
 
"And without me," cried Ferrari, jealously; upon which Mrs. Belswin made a gesture of .
 
"We can settle that afterwards," she said, drawing off her gloves: "meanwhile let us talk sense. I shall be up in town for a fortnight."
 
"And you stay, cara?"
 
"At an hotel in the . I'll give you the address before I leave."
 
"Bene! I will then have you to myself for two weeks."
 
"It all depends on whether you will help me in what I wish to do."
 
"Ebbene! Is it il marito?"
 
Mrs. Belswin nodded, and the Italian burst out laughing.
 
"Povero diavolo. He has then come again."
 
"No! but he arrives next week."
 
"How pleased you are," said Ferrari, mockingly. "Oh, yes, he will be so sweet to you."
 
"That's the very question! I don't want him to see me."
 
"Then return not to the little daughter."
 
"I must! I must!" cried Mrs. Belswin in despair. "I can't give up my child after meeting her again. Twenty years, Stephano, and I have not seen her; now I am beside her every day. She loves me--not as her mother, but as her frie............