His sharp chin and lanthorn jaws appeared to be perennially clothed with a two days' old crop of grisly stubble,--two days' growth,--neither more nor less! Long years ago he had buried a childless wife, who was said to have been a wonderful beauty, and to have been in many ways a trouble greater than Signor Fortini knew how to manage, and a trial that made his life a burthen to him.

Those old troubles were now, however, long since past and gone; and Signor Fortini lived only for his law and his artistic and antiquarian collections.

He was like many of his peers in the provincial cities of the Papal dominions--a great antiquary and virtuoso.
Antiquarianism is a "safe" pursuit under a government the nature of which makes and finds very many intellectual occupations unsafe.

And this may account for the fact, that very many competent historical antiquaries and collectors are found in the Pope's territories among such men as Signor Fortini.
The son and grandson of thriving lawyers, who had for nearly an hundred years managed the affairs of the Chapter and the estates of the principal landed proprietors of the neighbourhood, was not likely to be otherwise than well off; and it was generally understood that Signor Fortini was a wealthy man.

He loudly protested on all occasions that this was a most mistaken notion; but there never occurred an opportunity of adding to his very remarkable collection of drawings of the old masters, or his unrivalled series of mediaeval seals, or his all but perfect library of the Municipal Statutes of the mediaeval Communes of Italy, which found Signor Fortini unprepared to outbid most competitors.
There were very few among his clients whom Signor Fortini would not have expected to call on him at his "studio," instead of summoning him to wait on them.