'
Gaudiosus, bent double, a hand propping his white-bearded chin,
mused for a little with sadded air.
'Lord Basil,' he resumed at length, 'somewhat more have I to say to
you. I live far from the world, and hear little of its rumour. Until
this day your name was unknown to me, and of good concerning you I
have to this hour heard nothing save from your own lips. May I
credit this report you make of yourself? Or should I rather believe
what Marcian, in brief words, declared to me when he heard that you
were at his gate?'
The speaker paused, as if to collect courage.
'He spoke ill of me?' asked Basil.
'He spoke much ill. He accused you of disloyalty in friendship,
saying that he had but newly learnt how you had deceived him. More
than this he had not time to tell.'
Basil looked into the old man's rheumy eyes.
'You do well to utter this, good father. Tell me one thing more.
Yonder maiden, does she breathe the same charge against me?'
'Not so,' replied Gaudiosus. 'Of you she said no evil.'
'Yet I scarce think'--he smiled coldly--'that she made
profession of love for me?'
'My son, her speech was maidenly.
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