"Murder!"
Signor Ferrari let the cigarette drop from his fingers, and jumped up with a cry of dismay looking pale and unnerved. She saw this, and lashing him with her tongue, taunted him bitterly.
"Yes, murder, you miserable! I thought you were a brave man; but I see I made a mistake. You love me! You want to be my husband! No, no, no! I marry a brave man--yes, a brave man; not a coward!"
Ferrari winced, with an angry glitter in his eyes.
"Eh, Lucrezia. You think I am a brave man if I go to assassin il marito. Cospetto! I am an Italian; but the Italians are not fools. If another man loved you, and would take you away, I would kill him--yes! But il marito--eh, that is not quite the same. I kill him and you return to the little daughter for always. What gain to me, carissima? I kill him, and your law gives me the rope. What gain to me? No, Donna Lucrezia. Do what you love. Stab him with a stiletto, or give the poison, I say nothing; but as for me to obey--Dio, the life is not trouble to me yet."
"You are afraid."
He bounded across the room, and seized her roughly by the wrist.
"Devil-woman, I have no fear! You lie to speak so I You lie, figlia inferna."
"Then why do you refuse to help me?"
"Per Bacco, I am no assassin. Il marito is not an enemy to me. To you he is hateful. Revenge yourself as it pleases; but I--cospetto. You ask too much."