profession which left nothing to be desired. Some one must be ready to
take Marzio's place in the direction of the establishment, and no one
could be better fitted to undertake the task than Gianbattista. Lucia
would inherit her father's money as the capital for the business, and
her husband should inherit the workshop with all the stock-in-trade.
Latterly, however, Marzio had changed his mind, and the idea no longer
seemed so satisfactory to him as at first. Gianbattista was evidently
falling under the influence of Don Paolo, and that was a sufficient
reason for breaking off the match. Marzio hardly realised that as far as
his outward deportment in the presence of the priest was concerned, the
apprentice was only following his master's example.

Marzio had been looking about him for another husband for his daughter,
and he had actually selected one from among his most intimate friends.
His choice had fallen upon the thin lawyer--by name Gasparo
Carnesecchi--who, according to the chiseller's views, was in all
respects a most excellent match. A true freethinker, a practising lawyer
with a considerable acquaintance in the world of politics, a discreet
man not far from forty years of age, it seemed as though nothing more
were required to make a model husband. Marzio knew very well that
Lucia's dowry would alone have sufficed to decide the lawyer to marry
her, and an interview with Carnesecchi had almost decided the matter. Of
course, he had not been able to allude to the affair this evening at the
inn, when so many others were present, but the preliminaries were
nearly settled, and Marzio had made up his mind to announce his
intention to his family at once. He knew well enough what a storm he
would raise, and, like many men who are always trying to seem stronger
than they really are, he had determined to choose a moment for making
the disclosure when he should be in a thoroughly bad humour. As he
walked homewards from the old inn he felt that this moment had arrived.