But Del Ferice knew his man, and he knew that the only way in which he could continue the interview was to accept the imputation as though trusting implicitly to the discretion of his companion.
"Will you give me a fair answer to a fair question ?" he asked, very gravely.
"Let me hear the question," returned Giovanni, indifferently.

He also knew his man, and attached no more belief to anything he said than to the chattering of a parrot.

And yet Del Ferice had not the reputation of a liar in the world at large.
"Certainly," answered Ugo.

"You are the heir of a family which from immemorial time has opposed the popes.

You cannot be supposed to feel any kind of loyal attachment to the temporal power.