"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."My dear signor，there is no man better posted as to our nobility in all Italy.""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 thesame as the 'Blue Book'or the 'Peerage'of England.Either fortunately or unfortunately—I cannot say—you have no need of such a book in America."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 of Ferralti 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 man greeted him with a smile and a bow.
"I misunderstood your name last evening，"he said."I thought you were Count Ferralti.""And that is right，sir，"was the prompt reply."Allow meto offer you my 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 ?ne morning，Count.""Charming，Mr.Merrick."Uncle John walked away.He was glad that he had not suspected the young man unjustly.When an imposturea is unmasked it is no longer dangerous.
He joined his nieces，who were all busily engaged inwriting letters home，and remarked，casually：
"You've been deceived in your Italian friend，Louise.He is neither a count nor of noble family，although I suppose when you met him in New York he had an object in posing asb 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 every aristocrat in Italy，has never before heard of him.""How singular！"exclaimed Louise."I wonder why he hastried to deceive us.""Oh，the world is full of impostors；but when you are on to their game they are quite harmless.Of course we won't encourage this young man in any way.It will be better to avoid him.""He—he seems very nice and gentlemanly，"said Louisewith hesitation.
The other girls exchanged glances，but made no remark.Uncle John hardly knew what to say further.He felt he was in an awkward position，for Louise was the most experienced in worldly ways of his three nieces and he had no desire to pose as a stern guardian or to deprive his girls of any passing pleasure they might enjoy.Moreover，Louise being in love with that young Weldon her mother so strongly objected to，she would not be likely to care much for this Italian fellow，and Mrs.Merrick had enjoined him to keep her daughter's mind from dwelling on her "entanglement.""Oh，well，my dear，"he said to her，"you must act asyou see ?t.I do not imagine we shall see much of this young man，in any event，and now that you are well aware of the fact that he is sailing under false colors，you will know how to handle him better than I can advise you.""I shall be very careful，"said Louise slowly，as sheresumed her writing.
"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 buysilk stockings and inlaid wood—work.They come assorted，I suppose."Beth and Patsy jumped up with alacritya，but Louisepleaded that she had several more letters to write；so the others left her and passed the rest of the forenoon in rummagingb among the quaint shops of Sorrento，staring at the statue of Tasso，and enjoying the street scenes so vividly opposed to those of America.It was almost their first glimpse of foreign manners and customs.In Naples they had as yet seen nothing but darkness and falling ashes.
