Stefano, who knew so well all about it, could tell him what kind of life he must live in order to enjoy without suffering. In a single instant he fell from the height of his first manly resolve into the utmost dejection: to a consciousness of his own weakness and a state of perfect resignation. He was crying out for aid! He would have liked at least to keep up the appearance of someone who is asking advice merely because it would interest him to hear another person’s opinion. But the mechanical result of Balli’s shouting was to make Emilio assume a tone of entreaty. He felt an extraordinary desire to be treated tenderly.

Stefano took pity on him. He seized him roughly by the arm and dragged him along with him to the Piazza della Legna where he had his studio. “Now, tell me all about it. If there is anything I can do to help you, you know I will do it.”

Emilio was touched by his sympathy and made a full confession. Yes, now he saw it all clearly. It had become a very serious matter for him, and he described his love, his longing to see her and talk to her, his jealousy, his doubts, the torment he suffered continually, and his entire forgetfulness of everything which was not in some way related to her or to the state of his own feelings. He went on to speak of Angiolina as he now saw her in consequence of her behavior in the street, of the photographs she had hanging on the wall in her bedroom and her sacrifice of herself to the tailor; he told also of the pact they had made. He smiled from time to time while he told his story. He had evoked her image before his mind; he saw her gay and ingenuously perverse and he smiled back at her without resentment. Poor child! She was so proud of her photographs that she must always have them hanging up on the wall; she enjoyed so much being admired as she walked along the street that she even wanted him to see how many men made eyes at her. While he went on talking he felt there was really nothing in all this for anyone to take offense at; he had stated that he only looked upon her as a plaything. It is true that he omitted certain of his observations and experiences from the tale he told Balli, but any that did not find a place there had for the moment ceased to exist. He looked timidly at Balli from time to time, expecting to see him burst out laughing, and it was only his sense of logic which forced him to proceed. He had said he wanted to ask advice, and ask it he must. The sound of his own words continued to echo in his ears, and he tried to draw a conclusion from them as if they had been someone else’s words. Very calmly, almost as if he wanted to make Balli forget the warmth with which he had spoken hitherto, he inquired: “Don’t you think I ought to give up my connection with her, as I don’t seem able to take up a right line about it?” Again he hid a smile. It would certainly have been comic if Balli had advised him in good faith to give up seeing Angiolina.

But Stefano soon gave proof of his superior intelligence by refusing to advise him at all. “You will understand that I can hardly advise you to be made differently from what you are,” he said affectionately. “I knew from the first that this was not the sort of adventure for you.” Emilio argued that since Balli could speak like that the feelings he had been so alarmed about by himself a short while before must be quite commonplace ones, and he found therein a fresh source of consolation.

At that moment Balli’s servant Michele came in; he was an old soldier, well on in years. He stood to attention while saying something in a low voice to his master, and went out after taking off his hat with a sweeping gesture, while his body remained motionless.

“Someone is waiting for me in the studio,” said Balli with a smile. “It is a woman, and it’s a pity you can’t be present at the interview. It would be very instructive for you.” Then an idea struck him. “Would you like us to make up a party of four one evening?” He thought he had found a way of helping his friend, and Emilio accepted with enthusiasm. Of course! The only way to be able to imitate Balli was actually to see how he set about it.

Emilio had an appointment with Angiolina that evening at the Campo Marzio. During the day he had thought out certain reproaches he intended to make her. But she was coming to give herself wholly to him for one hour at least; at that moment there would be no passers-by to distract her attention from himself.