"I swear to you," he began, "on the body of the blessed Saint Donatus—"
Beroviero interrupted him.
"I did not ask you to swear by anything," he said. "I know the truth. The less you say of what has happened, the better it will be for you in the end."
"I suppose my sister has been poisoning your mind against me as usual. Can she explain how her mantle came here?"
"It does not concern you to know how it came here," answered Beroviero. "By your wholly unjustifiable haste, to say nothing worse, you have caused an innocent man to be arrested, and his rescue and disappearance have made matters much worse. I do not care to ask what your object has been. Keep it to yourself, pray, and do not remind me of this affair when we meet, for after all, you are my son. You came to take your leave, I think. Go home, then, by all means."
Without a word, Giovanni went out, biting his thin lip and reflecting mournfully upon the change in his position since he had talked with his father in the morning. While they had been speaking Marietta had gone to a little distance, affecting to unfold the mantle and fold it again according to feminine rules. As she heard the door shut again she glanced at her father's face, and saw that he was looking at her.
"I told you that I was learning patience to-day," he said. "I longed to lay my hands on him."
"You frightened him much more by what you said," answered Marietta.
"Perhaps. Never mind! He is gone. The question is how to find Zorzi. That is the first thing, and then we must undo the mischief Giovanni has done."
"I think Pasquale must have some clue by which we may find Zorzi," suggested Marietta.