"I suppose he is a gentleman?"
"As I told you, I never spoke to him; but the German told me that there could be no doubt but that he was a man of considerable position. He thinks him a count, or something of that sort; but, as I told him, Italian counts are cheap. Be that as it may, he speaks of himself as a simple 'Signore,' and makes no parade of his greatness whatever."
"That may be because he has none."
"But I should gather that he has. This German is a man who knows things, and he tells me that there can be no doubt but that Signor Ricordo has moved in the most influential circles. Oh, I can assure you there is no difficulty in believing it. You cannot look at his face without feeling that he is a man who has lived at the heart of things."
"You make me quite curious. I must visit the home, and make his acquaintance."
"It will be very interesting to know what you think of him."
"Of course he is not rich? He would not go to The Homestead if he were."
"The question did not come up. The truth is, he is not the kind of man who suggests such things. You are impressed by the personality of the man, not by his belongings."
"I wonder you did not try and make his acquaintance."
"I wanted to badly; but, as I said, he seemed to be in an unsociable mood."