The Viceroys by Federico De Roberto

his face a completely different character. All his nephews and nieces kissed his hand. He enquired about the tragedy and excused himself for not having come sooner. Healso excused himself for the disturbance he was causing to the prince, who had ordered the third-floor rooms prepared for him which he had occupied before leaving his family home. But his nephew protested:
    ‘Your Excellency is not disturbing, but helping me … and at this moment I greatly need your advice …’
    ‘Heard anything?’
    ‘Not a thing!’
    ‘I hope your mother hasn’t had one of her crazy whims …’
    ‘Whatever my mother has done will be well done!’
    So the reading of the Will was arranged for next day at noon, and Signor Marco had orders to warn notary, judge, and witnesses to hold themselves in readiness. Meanwhile the news of the duke’s arrival had immediately spread through the city, and his first visitors were announced before he had even rested from his journey. All sorts of people came, many of whom no one had ever heard of. Donna Ferdinanda, hearing their names announced by Baldassarre—Raspinato, Zappaglione—opened her eyes wide. Don Blasco, on his side, was puffing like a bellows. But the worst was towards evening, when there began a real procession, ‘all the starving down-and-outs in town’, as the monk cried to the marchese, ‘that have squeezed or want to squeeze money out of that pig of a brother of mine!’ While the duke was giving audience to his friends, the Royal Intendant Ramondino came to make his visit of condolence to the prince, who received him in the Red Drawing-room, together with the Marchese of Villardita and Don Blasco. The latter, forgetting that the gates were on the point of shutting at San Nicola, let out a terrific diatribe against the agitations of the revolutionary party; but the representative of the Government shrugged his shoulders and seemed to give no importance to the symptoms about which the monk was holding forth: yes, they had actually arrested a few agitators at Palermo; but when in prison hot heads would cool off.
    ‘Why don’t you call for more troops? Make an example?… The stick is what’s needed; a few floggings!’
    The monk seemed frenzied; but the head of the province shrugged his shoulders; the troops of the garrison were enough; there was no fear of anything! Anyway the Government put itstrust in the moral influence of the
well-disposed
more than in bayonets. This praise was directed to the prince, who took the point, but Don Blasco swivelled his staring eyes as if something he’d eaten had gone down the wrong way, and he was making violent efforts either to swallow it altogether or vomit it out.
    ‘What about the defunct lady’s Will, may God rest her soul!’ asked the Intendant, as curious as the rest of the city.
    ‘It will be opened tomorrow …’
    At this point the duke entered, shook hands with the Intendant and sat down by him. Don Blasco then got up noisily to go away. In the antechamber he shouted to the marchesc accompanying him:
    ‘You see? All day with the down-and-outs and now making up to authority! It turns my stomach!… I’ll never set foot in this house again!’
    In the princess’s work-room, where the rest of the family and some of the hangers-on were gathered, Donna Ferdinanda was also breathing fire and sword against the traitor; but when Baldassarre, thinking that the duke was there, announced at the door:
    ‘Don Lorenzo Giulente and his nephew ask for the Signor Duke …’
    ‘This is too much!’ burst out the spinster, flushing to the whites of her eyes. ‘It’s a scandal! The police should see to it!’
    Don Mariano, with an air of consternation, exclaimed:
    ‘The boy too now … It’s really most disagreeable! One can overlook the uncle, who’s penniless; but the nephew …’
    ‘The nephew?…’ shrieked the spinster. ‘Don’t you know that when the fox couldn’t reach the grapes it said they were