'The very arguments that Bellarion used,' cried the Marquis.
'To which we would not listen,' said the Princess bitterly.
Carmagnola sniffed. 'They are the arguments any man in his case would use. You overlook that the letter is an incentive, an undertaking to reward him suitably if he ...'
Barbaresco broke in, exasperated by the man's grandiose stupidity.
'To the devil with that, numskull!'
'Numskull, sir? To me? By Heaven ...'
'Sirs, sirs!' The Princess laid her hand on Barbaresco's great arm. 'This is not seemly to my Lord Carmagnola ...'
'I know it. I know it. I crave his pardon. But I was never taught to suffer fools gladly. I ...'
'Sir, your every word is an offence. You ...'
Valeria calmed them. 'Don't you see, Messer Carmagnola, that he but uses you as a whipping-boy instead of me. It is I who am the fool, the numskull in his eyes; for these deeds are more mine than any other's. But my old friend Barbaresco is too courteous to say so.'