CHAPTER IX
COUNT FERRALTI
At dinner it was announced that the famous Tarantella would be danced inthe lower hall of the hotel at nine o'clock, and the girls told UncleJohn that they must not miss this famous sight, which is one of the mostunique in Sorrento, or indeed in all Italy.
As they entered the pretty, circular hall devoted to the dance Louisegave a start of surprise. A goodly audience had already assembled in theroom, and among them the girl seemed to recognize an acquaintance, forafter a brief hesitation she advanced and placed her hand in that of agentleman who had risen on her entrance and hastened toward her.
He was a nice looking young fellow, Beth thought, and had a foreign andquite distinguished air.
Presently Louise turned with cheeks somewhat flushed and brought thegentleman to her party, introducing him to Uncle John and her cousins asCount Ferralti, whom she had once met in New York while he was on avisit to America.
The Count twirled his small and slender moustaches in a way that Patsythought affected, and said in excellent English:
"It delights me to meet Mr. Merrick and the young ladies. May I expressa hope that you are pleased with my beautiful country?"
"Are you Italian?" asked Uncle John, regarding the young man critically.
"Surely, Mr. Merrick. But I have resided much in New York, and may wellclaim to be an adopted son of your great city."
"New York adopts a good many," said Uncle John, drily. "It has even beenthoughtless enough to adopt me."
The dancers entered at that moment and the Americans were forced to seatthemselves hastily so as not to obstruct the view of others. CountFerralti found a place beside Louise, but seemed to have little to sayto her during the course of the entertainment.
The dances were unique and graceful, being executed by a troup oflaughing peasants dressed in native costume, who seemed very proud oftheir accomplishment and anxious to please the throng of touristspresent. The Tarantella originated in Ischia, but Sorrento and Caprihave the best dancers.
Afterward Uncle John and his nieces stood upon the terrace and watchedthe volcano rolling its dense clouds, mingled with sparks of red-hotscoria, toward the sky. The Count clung to Louise's side, but also triedto make himself agreeable to her cousins. In their rooms that nightPatsy told Beth that the young foreigner was "too highfalutin' to suither," and Beth replied that his manners were so like those of theirCousin Louise that the two ought to get along nicely together.
Uncle John liked his nieces to make friends, and encouraged young mengenerally to meet them; but there was something in the appearance ofthis callow Italian nobleman that stamped his character as artificialand insincere. He resolved to find out something about his antecedentsbefore he permitted the young fellow to establish friendly relationswith his girls.
Next morning after breakfast he wandered through the lobby and paused atthe little office, where he discovered that the proprietor of this hotelwas a brother of that Floriano who managed the Hotel du Vesuve. Thatgave him an excuse to talk with the man, who spoke very good English andwas exceedingly courteous to his guests--especially when they wereAmerican.
"I see you have Count Ferralti with you," remarked Uncle John.
"Whom, sir?"
"Ferralti--Count Ferralti. The young man standing by the window,yonder."
"I--I did not know," he said, hesitatingly. "The gentleman arrived lastevening, and I had not yet learned his name. Let me see," he turned tohis list of guests, who register by card and not in a book, andcontinued: "Ah, yes; he has given his name as Ferralti, but added notitle. A count, did you say?"
"Yes," replied Uncle John.
The proprietor looked curiously toward the young man, whose back onlywas visible. Then he remarked that the eruption of Vesuvius was waningand the trouble nearly over for this time.
"Are the Ferraltis a good family?" asked Uncle John, abruptly.
"That I cannot tell you, Signor Merrick."
"Oh. Perhaps you know little about the nobility of your country."
"I! I know little of the nobility!" answered Floriano, indignantly. "Mydear signor, there is no man better posted as to our nobility in allItaly."
"Yet you say you don't know the Ferralti family."
The proprietor reached for a book that lay above his desk.
"Observe, signor. Here is our record of nobility. It is the same as the'Blue Book' or the 'Peerage' of England. Either fortunately orunfortunately--I cannot say--you have no need of such a book inAmerica."
He turned the pages and ran his finger down the line of "Fs."
"Find me, if you can, a Count Ferralti in the list."
Uncle John looked. He put on his glasses and looked again. The name ofFerralti was no place in the record.
"Then there is no such count, Signor Floriano."
"And no such noble family, Signor Merrick."
Uncle John whistled softly and walked away to the window. The young mangreeted him with a smile and a bow.
"I misunderstood your name last evening," he said. "I thought you wereCount Ferralti."
"And that is right, sir," was the prompt reply. "Allow me to offer youmy card."
Uncle John took the card and read:
"CONTE LEONARDI FERRALTI, Milano, Italia."
He carefully placed the card in his pocket-book.
"Thank you," said he. "It's a fine morning, Count."
"Charming, Mr. Merrick."
Uncle John walked away. He was glad that he had not suspected the youngman unjustly. When an imposture is unmasked it is no longer dangerous.
He joined his nieces, who were all busily engaged in writing lettershome, and remarked, casually:
"You've been deceived in your Italian friend, Louise. He is neither acount nor of noble family, although I suppose when you met him in NewYork he had an object in posing as a titled aristocrat."
The girl paused, examining the point of her pen thoughtfully.
"Are you sure, Uncle John?"
"Quite sure, my dear. I've just been through the list of Italian counts,and his name is not there. Floriano, the proprietor, who knows everyaristocrat in Italy, has never before heard of him."
"How singular!" exclaimed Louise. "I wonder why he has tried to deceiveus."
"Oh, the world is full of impostors; but when you are on to their gamethey are quite harmless. Of course we won't encourage this young man inany way. It will be better to avoid him."
"He--he seems very nice and gentlemanly," said Louise with hesitation.
The other girls exchanged glances, but made no remark. Uncle John hardlyknew what to say further. He felt he was in an awkward position, forLouise was the most experienced in worldly ways of his three nieces andhe had no desire to pose as a stern guardian or to deprive his girls ofany passing pleasure they might enjoy. Moreover, Louise being in lovewith that young Weldon her mother so strongly objected to, she would notbe likely to care much for this Italian fellow, and Mrs. Merrick hadenjoined him to keep her daughter's mind from dwelling on her"entanglement."
"Oh, well, my dear," he said to her, "you must act as you see fit. I donot imagine we shall see much of this young man, in any event, and nowthat you are well aware of the fact that he is sailing under falsecolors, you will know how to handle him better than I can advise you."
"I shall be very careful," said Louise slowly, as she resumed herwriting.
"Well then, girls, what do you say to a stroll around the village?"asked their uncle. "I'm told it's a proper place to buy silk stockingsand inlaid wood-work. They come assorted, I suppose."
Beth and Patsy jumped up with alacrity, but Louise pleaded that she hadseveral more letters to write; so the others left her and passed therest of the forenoon in rummaging among the quaint shops of Sorrento,staring at the statue of Tasso, and enjoying the street scenes sovividly opposed to those of America. It was almost their first glimpseof foreign manners and customs. In Naples they had as yet seen nothingbut darkness and f
alling ashes.