'Yes, I understand what he meant now.'
We strolled round the room, looking at the people and talking.
'Look,' I said, 'there's a handsome woman!' pointing to a voluptuous beauty, a massive creature, full-brested and high-coloured.
'Your eye is drawn to a handsome woman like steel to a magnet, Filippo,' answered Matteo, laughing.
'Introduce me,' I said, 'if she is not ferocious.'
'By no means; and she has probably already fixed her eyes upon you. But she is wife to Ercole Piacentini.'
'I don't care. I mean to kill the man afterwards; but that is no reason why I should not make myself pleasant to his spouse.'
'You will do her a service in both ways,' he replied; and, going up to her, 'Claudia,' he said, 'your fatal eyes have transfixed another heart.'
Her sensual lips broke into a smile.
'Have they that power?' She fixed them on me, and made room on the couch on which she was sitting. Neither Matteo nor I were slow to take the hint, for I took my place and he his leave. 'I wonder you have not already fallen victim to Madonna Giulia,' said Claudia, looking languorously at me, and glancing over to the other lady.