*Noble society demanded not only titles and wealth, but also shrewdness and keen observation. Every gathering of nobles, on any occasion, was like walking on glass. Count Alfonso was no different from any other nobleman; the usual mask of a gentleman on his face and his sweet, honeyed words concealed more than they revealed.

One day, Count Alfonso went to discuss some business matters. It so happened that this marquis, one of your relatives with only a superficial understanding, asked you to stay and paint portraits of his wife, without the need to hire a painter who would receive a hefty salary. At the very moment the Count was leaving, his gaze drifted to the painting you had just finished, which you were holding to take inside, when you noticed the Count's stare at it.*