abundance.

"Exactly," answered Marzio, biting off the end of a common cigar and
fixing his eyes on the lawyer's thin, keen face. "Precisely. I think--of
course I do not know--but I think that you are a serious man. But then,
I may be mistaken."

"Well, it is human to err, Sor Marzio. But then, I am no longer of that
age--what shall I say? Everybody knows I am serious. Do I lead the life
of the café? Do I wear out my shoes in Piazza Colonna? Capers! I am a
serious man."

"Yes," answered Marzio, though with some hesitation, as though he were
prepared to argue even this point with the sallow-faced lawyer. He
struck a match on the gaudy little paper box he carried and began to
smoke thoughtfully. "Let us make a couple of steps," he said at last.

Both men moved slowly on for a few seconds, and then stopped again. In
Italy "a couple of steps" is taken literally.

"Let us see," said Carnesecchi. "Let us look at things as they are. In
these days there are many excellent opportunities for investing money."

"Hum!" grunted Marzio, pulling a long face and looking up under his
eyebrows. "I know that is your opinion, Sor Gasparo. I am sorry that you
should put so much faith in the stability of things. So you, too, have
got the malady of speculation. I suppose you are thinking of building a
Palazzo Carnesecchi out at Sant' Agnese in eight floors and thirty-two
apartments."