what paintings, Signor! Even now they dazzle me with I see them only
in imagination! And all of them signed! Finally, I gave him the
manuscript of the 'Golden Legend'! I would have given him my flesh
and my blood! An only son, Signor! the son of my poor saintly wife!"

"So," I said, "while I--relying on your written word, Monsieur--was
travelling to the very heart of Sicily to find the manuscript of the
Clerk Alexander, the same manuscript was actually exposed for sale
in a window in the Rue Lafitte, only fifteen hundred yards from my
house?"

"Yes, it was there! that is positively true!" exclaimed Signor
Polizzi, suddenly growing calm again; "and it is there still--at least
I hope it is, Excellence."

He took a card from a shelf as he spoke, and offered it to me, saying,

"Here is the address of my son. Make it known to your friends, and
you will oblige me. Faience and enameled wares; hangings; pictures.
He has a complete stock of objects of art--all at the fairest possible
prices--and everything authentic, I can vouch for it, upon my honour!
Go and see him. He will show you the manuscript of the 'Golden
Legend.' Two miniatures miraculously fresh in colour!"

I was feeble enough to take the card he held out to me.

The fellow was taking further advantage of my weakness to make me
circulate the name of Rafael Polizzi among the Societies of the
learned!