The Cardinal's Snuff-box

Peter Marchdale, a young author, rents a villa in Lombardy for the summer. He discovers that his landlady is a young woman who he has admired from afar. She is the widow of an Italian duke who was extremely wealthy and Peter is devastated that he feels there is no future for him with the duchessa. However, the duchessa's uncle by marriage, Cardinal Udeschini comes to visit.