Carrati, of which Florinda was the sole survivor; others, more
shrewd, declared that the uncle had a sinister motive beneath all of
those so apparent.

Florinda was no stranger to this expectation, but had never given it
thought, either in favor or against the consummation of her uncle's
ideas. The subject was rarely alluded to, and even her uncle deemed
her still too young to entertain the idea of matrimony. In a country
and among a class where matches were so commonly mere matters of
business and mercenary calculation, such an affair did not create
much remark or interest between even the parties themselves. Aside
from the considerations of family honor, the pride of birth and
noble blood, the large, nay, unequalled fortune of Florinda-always
excepting that of the Grand Duke-was a strong inducement to this
step. That her relation had some personal ends in view, in
connection with the proposed alliance, was equally obvious to all
who knew the mercenary and selfish character of his general
disposition. His treatment towards Florinda had ever been kind and
fatherly, but this course was adopted only that he might gain the
necessary ascendancy over her mind and purpose to make sure of his
plan.

This plan of procedure, artfully adopted by her uncle from her very
childhood, had completely deceived Florinda-as we shall have
occasion to see-and she was led to believe him kind and affectionate
to her, who was proud and selfish in all his dealings with the rest
of the world. His nephew, Petro Giampetti, was probably the only
being he really loved; nor was his regard for him unalloyed, but
tempered with that selfishness that formed a prominent trait in his
natural disposition. He was childless himself, and had lost his wife