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Aurora felt that Corbario was looking sideways at her as they walked. "Have you seen Marcello?" he asked presently. "Did you not meet him?" Aurora was surprised. "It is not five minutes since he left me." "No. I did not meet him." "That is strange." They went on in silence for a few moments. "I cannot understand why you did not meet Marcello," Aurora said suddenly, as if she had thought it over.
In the days before Corbario had lost his head, and when he had controlled the household, it had been a part of his policy to have really respectable servants about him, and though some of them had never quite trusted him, they had all been devoted to the Signora and to Marcello.
"I came as soon as I knew that you were here," said Corbario quickly. Marcello heard the words, though he was at that moment shaking hands with Aurora, and their eyes had met. She was perfectly calm and collected, none the worse for her adventure in the morning, and considerably the wiser. "Will you come in?" asked the Contessa, leading the way, as if expecting both men to follow.
Moreover, there was Regina, and there was youth, and there was liberty; and Corbario was at hand, always ready to encourage and satisfy his slightest whim, on the plea that a convalescent must be humoured at any cost, and that there would be time enough to consider what should be done with Regina after Marcello was completely recovered.
The house is in charge of the police, and there is nothing more to be done here. They have already taken the woman's body to San Spirito, and they will move Corbario in a few hours. He is badly mauled, but no big arteries are torn. I must go home and write a letter. The Contessa must not hear what has happened through the newspapers." "No. Certainly not.
Once he had attempted an appeal to Marcello's former affection, recalling his mother's love for them both, but a look had come into the young man's eyes just then which even Corbario did not care to face again, and the relations between the two had become more strained from that time on.
"I do not know that lady," answered the Contessa, with a very slight hesitation before pronouncing the last word. But they had both heard of Regina already. The Contessa wrote to Corbario two days later, addressing her letter to Rome, as she did not know where he was.
He is probably at his house, at this hour." "No. You know very well that he has left the villa. It will not serve to tell lies, nor to say that you know nothing about him, for I am sure you do. Now listen. I wish to persuade you with good words. You and Signor Corbario were in South America together." Settimia's face expressed abject terror.
There was no doubt, however, that he felt a sort of attachment for the boy, and he admitted the failing while he deplored it. Besides, he detested Corbario, and had felt that his own common sense was insulted by the fact that Folco seemed devoted to Marcello.
The lawyer made a few notes without offering any comment, and on the following day he brought the will for the Signora to sign. By it, at her death, Marcello, her son, was to inherit her great fortune. Her husband, Folco Corbario, was constituted Marcello's sole guardian, and was to enjoy a life-interest in one-third of the inheritance.
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