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40 40 NOSTALGIA

for a single moment) is an excellent fellow. He dis- courses of Raphael and Michaelangelo, making highly original criticisms. For instance, speaking of Raphael (whose surname he never omits), he says ' the painter of La Madonna delle Seggiole (plural), etc.' "

In a postscript to this letter Antonio added

" The Master has suggested a marriage to me a young lady of noble family, once very wealthy, now come down in the world twenty-three neither pretty nor ugly clever fortune, 30,000 lire"

In another letter Antonio boasted of tender regards from several young ladies in the neighbourhood, but said the Master still held to his idea.

" The Tagliamari are one of the best families in this part. They still have 200,000 lire to be divided into four parts. At present the elder daughter has

30,000. The Signora T is most distinguished,

widow of a noble who in his day ran through half-a- million. The Master paints the young lady as a model of wisdom and goodness. ' E' fine, sa,' he says to me, Jine, fine, fine ! ' 1 She has been educated at Parma in a school for ladies of rank. ' You ought to take her away from this,' he says, ' to Rome that's her place.' "

" Poor old man," commented Antonio. " He imagines that I am a prince I with my small berth at the Treasury ! fit to marry and carry off a young lady who is Jine, fine, fine ! "

" To be sure," he wrote in his letter of September 2nd, " 30,000 lire are not to be despised; but I must first see the lady."

The next letter described the meeting with Regina on the banks of the Po, near her home.

1 .Fine = out of the common delicately exquisite.