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dy.' 'You'renotinlovewithher?'askedMatteo,quickly. Ilaughed. 'Certainlynot.Butstill—' 'That'sallrightbecause,ofcourse,youknowit'snotoriousthatshehashadthemostdisgracefulamours.Andshehasn'tevenkeptthemtoherownclassallsortsofpeoplehaveenjoyedherfavours.' 'ShedoesnotlookverymuchlikeaMessalina,'Isaid,sneeringalittle. 'Honestly,Filippo,Idothinksheisreallyverylittlebetterthanaharlot.' 'Youareextremelycharitable,'Isaid.'Butdon'tyouthinkyouaresomewhatprejudicedbythefactthatyouyourselfdidnotfindherone.Besides,hercharactermakesnoparticulardifferencetomeIreallycarenothingifshe'sgoodorbadsheisagreeable,andthatisallIcareabout.Sheisnotgoingtobemywife.' 'Shemaymakeyouveryunhappyyouwon'tbethefirst.' 'Whatafoolyouare!'Isaid,alittleangrily.'YouseemtothinkthatbecauseIgoandseeawomanImustbedyingofloveforher.Youareabsurd.' Ilefthim,andsoonfoundmyselfatthePalazzoAste,whereDonnaGiuliawaswaitingforme.IhadbeentoseehernearlyeverydaysincemyarrivalinForli,forIreallylikedher.Naturally,IwasnotinlovewithherasMatteosuggested,andIhadnointentionofenteringintothatmiserablestate.Ihadfoundhercharminglysimple,verydifferentfromthemonsterofdissipationshewassupposedtobe.Shemusthavebeenthreeorfour-and-twenty,butinallherwaysshewasquitegirlish,merryandthoughtless,fulloflaughteratonemoment,andthensometriflingthingwouldhappentodiscomposeherandshewouldbebroughttothevergeoftearsbutawordorcaress,evenacompliment,wouldmakeherforgettheunhappinesswhichhadappearedsoterrible,andinaninstantshewouldbewreathedinsmiles.Sheseemedsodelightfullyfragile,sodel