The old Leone Saracinesca who last bore the title of Marquis--" "The one mentioned here ?" asked Donna Tullia, breathlessly.
"Yes--the one who took service under Murat, under Napoleon.

Well, it is perfectly well known that he laid claim to the Roman title, and with perfect justice.

Two generations before that, there had been an amicable arrangement--amicable, but totally illegal--whereby the elder brother, who was an unmarried invalid, transferred the Roman estates to his younger brother, who was married and had children, and, in exchange, took the Neapolitan estates and title, which had just fallen back to the main branch by the death of a childless Marchese di San Giacinto.

Late in life this old recluse invalid married, contrary to all expectation--certainly contrary to his own previous intentions.

However, a child was born--a boy.