"Otherwise you would not have recommended him, I suppose," said Spicca.
"Certainly not," replied Orsino, looking at him.
"You must know, Madame," said Spicca, "that Don Orsino is an excellent judge of men."
He emphasised the last word in a way that seemed unnecessary. Maria Consuelo had recovered all her equanimity and laughed carelessly.
"How you say that!" she exclaimed. "Is it a warning?"
"Probably against you," she said. "Count Spicca likes to throw out vague hints--but I will do him the credit to say that they generally mean something." She added the last words rather scornfully.
An expression of pain passed over the old man's face. But he said nothing, though it was not like him to pass by a challenge of the kind. Without in the least understanding the reason of the sensation, Orsino felt sorry for him.
"Among men, Count Spicca's opinion is worth having," he said quietly.
Maria Consuelo looked at him in some surprise. The phrase sounded like a rebuke, and her eyes betrayed her annoyance.
"How delightful it is to hear one man defend another!" she laughed.
"I fancy Count Spicca does not stand much in need of defence," replied Orsino, without changing his tone.
Spicca raised his weary eyes to hers and looked at her for a moment, before he answered.
"Yes," he said. "I think I am the best judge. But I am not accustomed to being defended, least of all against you, Madame. The sensation is a new one."
Orsino felt himself out of place. He was more warmly attached to Spicca than he knew, and though he was at that time not far removed from loving Maria Consuelo, her tone in speaking to the old man, which said far more than her words, jarred upon him, and he could not help taking his friend's part. On the other hand the ugly truth that Spicca had caused the death of Aranjuez more than justified Maria Consuelo in her hatred. Behind all, there was evidently some good reason why Spicca came to see her, and there was some bond between the two which made it impossible for her to refuse his visits. It was clear too, that though she hated him he felt some kind of strong affection for her. In her presence he was very unlike his daily self.
Again Orsino moved and looked at her, as though asking her permission to go away. But she refused it with an imperative gesture and a look of annoyance. She evidently did not wish to be left alone with the old man. Without paying any further attention to the latter she began to talk to Orsino. She took no trouble to conceal what she felt and the impression grew upon Orsino that Spicca would have gone away after a quarter of an hour, if he had not either possessed a sort of right to stay or if he had not had some important object in view in remaining.