human
Can I be permitted to see the Marchese Ludovico, Signor Commissario? He has requested me to come to him,
gpt
Certainly, Signor Barone. I myself sent his note to you. Though, on his own statement of the very unfortunate circumstances connected with this unhappy affair, I was compelled to detain him, still there is at present no definite accusation against him which should justify me in preventing him from having free communication with his friends. You shall be taken to his room immediately. You will see, Signor Barone, that we have endeavoured to make him as comfortable as the circumstances would allow.
human
Manutoli, said Ludovico, after the first expressions of astonishment and condolence had been spoken between the young men,
gpt
To be sure, my dear fellow, anything; I am ready for anything, if it takes all night.
human
Thanks. Well, now, look here: I am innocent of this deed--
gpt
S' intende; of course you are.
human
S' intende, of course; that's just the worst of it. It is so much a matter of course that I should say I had not done it if I had, that my saying so is of no use at all. Nevertheless, to you I must say that I neither did it nor have I the slightest conception or suspicion who did. And you may guess that the fact itself is a horror and a grief to me that I shall never get over, putting this dreadful suspicion of my own guilt out of the question. A horror and a grief, and a remorse, too; for if I had not moved away from her the tragedy could not have happened.
gpt
I really do not see that you need blame yourself for--
human
I ought not to have left her side. Yet, God knows, it never entered my head to dream of the possibility of any harm; all seemed so still, so peaceful, so utterly quiet; yet, at that moment, the hand that did the deed could not have been far off.
gpt
Let the circumstances have been what they might, resumed Manutoli, after a moment's pause,
human
True that I had been told of it, for the first time, by herself during our drive, poor girl.
gpt
Ah--h--h! To think of such a man being guilty of such insane folly--and of all the misery that is likely to grow out of it. How on earth did she ever contrive to get such a fatal influence over him?
human
She schemed for it from her first arrival here--aimed avowedly to herself at nothing less than inducing the Marchese di Castelmare to marry her--and succeeded. For all that, I'll tell you what, Adolfo--there was a great deal more good in that poor girl than you would have thought.
gpt
Bah! Good in her--Well, she's gone. She has had her reward, poor soul; and I pity her with all my heart. But as for the good in her--
human
There was good in her, and not a little. I tell you that if you or any one else could have heard all that passed between us, I should hardly be suspected of having murdered her, poor girl.
gpt
That is likely enough; but--
human
Do you know, Manutoli, I have a very strong idea that if this had not happened, the marriage with the Marchese would never have come off?
gpt
You think that, between us all, we should have induced him to listen to reason?
human
I don't know about that; I was not thinking of that; I think that Bianca would have been induced to listen to reason; I think that the scheme would have come to nothing through her renunciation of it.
gpt
When, according to your own account, she had been scheming all the time she has been here to bring it about?
human
Yes, even so. She had never known--how should she?--that such a marriage would turn me out on the world a beggar; she had never known what sort and what degree of misery and ruin it would bring about to all parties.
gpt
And you told her this?
human
Yes, in some degree I told her. As to the effect of such a marriage on myself, I told her simply the entire truth.
gpt
And you are disposed to think that the Diva--No, poor girl! I didn't mean to speak sneeringly of her. She has paid for her fault a heavier penalty than it deserved, any way. You are disposed to think, then, that she would have given up the prize of all her scheming--this marriage, which was to have given her everything in the world that she could desire, and more than she could have ever dreamed of attaining; she would have voluntarily relinquished all this, you think, for your sake?
human
I'll tell you what it is, Manutoli. A man can never appreciate,--can never fathom, the depth of woman's generosity till he has tried it.
gpt
But, caro mio,--after all I don't want to be hard upon her, poor soul, God knows!--but to expect generosity on such a point from such a woman--
human
You may say what you will, Manutoli, I know what she was, poor girl, as well as you do--better, a great deal; for, I tell you, that there was a real generosity in her nature. Look here, continued Ludovico; after a pause of a minute or two,
gpt
I would not say it to anybody else than you, or to you either, except under circumstances that make one wish to state the whole truth exactly as it was. It seems so coxcomblike,--so like what our friend Leandro would say; but I may say it to you. The fact is, I have a kind of idea that that poor Bianca was inclined to like me. She cried when I told her--
human
Aha, j'y suis! Now I begin to be able to fathom the depth of a woman's generosity. Given the fact of becoming Marchesa di Castelmare, the lady was not disinclined to become so by catching the nephew instead of the uncle; and small blame to her.
gpt
You do not do the poor woman justice, Manutoli.
human
Any way, I do you justice; and I know you well enough, Ludovico mio, to understand that the generosity of such a girl as this poor Lalli was, taking that special form, must have been very touching to you.
gpt
You forget, Manutoli, how little accessible I was to the flattery of any such preference, with my whole heart full of a very different person.
human
And I was just thinking, to tell you the truth, how the little scene in the bagarino would have struck that other person if she could have seen La Bianca giving you to understand, amid her tears, upon what terms she would consent not to come between you and your natural inheritance.
gpt
You wish me to go to her at once?
human
Yes, if you would be so kind. What I am anxious for is that you should see her before any order for her arrest shall have been issued. But that is not all. I want you to see Fortini also. I want you to ascertain from him how far it is possible or probable that any suspicion may rest on Paolina in consequence of the facts which are known; how far it is likely that any attempt may be made to set up a case against her. And I want you to tell him that it will be wholly and utterly vain to make any such attempt, that the result would only be entirely to cripple my own defence. For you must understand once for all, and make him understand once for all, that rather than allow her to be convicted of a deed of which she is as innocent as you are, I would confess myself to be the guilty party. It shall not be, Manutoli, mark what I say, it shall not be, that she shall be dragged to ruin and destruction by my misfortune, or imprudence, call it what you will. Of this, of course, you will say no word to her. But I beg you to leave no shade of a doubt as to my settled purpose in this matter on the mind of Signor Fortini. It is he, of course, who will have the duty of preparing and conducting my defence; and it is essential that he should understand this rightly. Will you do this for me?
gpt
Of course I will--this or anything else that I can do for you. But I can't undertake to say what Signor Giovacchino Fortini may think, or say, or do in the matter, you know. I will take your message, and then, of course, you will see him yourself in the course of to-morrow morning. Of course, old fellow, I need not tell you that I am sure you did not murder the girl; but it is altogether one of the most mysterious things I ever heard of. Nevertheless my notion is that we shall find out the culprit yet. And you may depend on it that two-thirds of the whole population of the town will be moving heaven and earth to get some clue to the mystery for your sake.
human
It seems to me, too, that such a deed cannot but be found out. I should be more uneasy than I am, did I not console myself with thinking so. Now go to Paolina, there is a dear good fellow.
gpt
One word more--shall I see the Marchese?
human
I think, perhaps, it is best not to do so. Of course Fortini has been with him, and told him everything. I almost thought that I should have seen him here this evening; but, under the circumstances, I am better pleased that he should stay away. Better leave him to Fortini.
gpt
Good-night, then.
human
Good-night. You will let me see you to-morrow?
gpt
I won't fail. Good-night.