Eufemia, all three Giustinianis as you know--in a family whose sons have
more than once worn a cardinal's hat--that a mother, Sir, should be
compelled to let her own child--But you are fond of the little one, Sir,
as every one is hereabout. Heh, Marietta! What would you say if the
gentleman were to give you a pair of ear-rings, now; real gold ear-rings
I mean? Thread for ear-rings, Sir, in the ears of a Giustiniani! It is
absurd, preposterous, monstrous; and a right-thinking gentleman like you,
Sir, will never deny that."

How could I neglect such a hint; and when I had gratified the antiquary's
wife, I could reflect with some pride that I might esteem myself a
benefactor to a family which boasted of its descent from the Emperor
Justinian, which had been called the 'Fabia gens' of Venice, and, in its
day had given to the Republic great generals, far-seeing statesmen, and
admirable scholars.

When, at length, I had to quit the city and took leave of the curiosity-
dealer, he pressed my hand with heartfelt regret; and though the Signora
Giustiniani, as she pocketed a tolerably thick bundle of paper money,
looked at me with that kindly pity which a good woman is always ready to
bestow on the inexperienced, especially when they are young, that, no
doubt, was because the manuscript I had acquired bore such a dilapidated
appearance. The margins of the thick old Nuremberg paper were eaten into
by mice and insects, in many places black patches like tinder dropped
away from the yellow pages; indeed, many passages of the once clear
writing had so utterly faded that I scarcely hoped to see them made
legible again by the chemist's art. However, the contents of the
document were so interesting and remarkable, so unique in relation to the
time when it was written, that they irresistibly riveted my attention,
and in studying them I turned half the night into day. There were nine