“I only remember it was something about ermine. I forgot until this moment that I meant to ask Italo what the joke was about ermine. Was that too very bad?”
“Just as bad as possible. No, rather worse. Both relate to ancient bits of scandal that no one would dare refer to–that would place a man referring to them in the necessity to fight a duel. Mind you, mean and discredited scandal. I won’t resurrect it to enlighten you. You can interrogate Signor Ceccherelli, who has really distinguished himself in his quality of habitué of this house and your particular friend.”
“I know you’re angry, Gerald; I don’t wonder you’re ready to call names. But the thing is simple, isn’t it, after all, now that I understand. The harm done isn’t such as can never be mended. All I have to do is write to Antonia and tell her I was the black crow, or, if you advise, write to the two gentlemen I’ve offended.”
“Heavens, no! you can’t do that!”
“Why can’t I?”
“You can’t; that’s all. You can’t admit that that 258little vermin is on terms of intimacy with you permitting his prompting your Carnival witticisms, and you can’t hope to make any one in Florence believe you didn’t understand what you were saying.”
“Yes, I can, my friend; I can make them believe. I can speak the truth. I can, at all events, prove that Antonia had nothing whatever to do with it.”
“No, no, no, I tell you! You can do nothing whatever about it. Your name must not be allowed to appear in the matter at all. It would serve Ceccherelli right that his part in the disgraceful business should be known, dangerous little beast that he is. He would receive a lesson, and an excellent thing it would be; but that, again, might involve you. One couldn’t trust him to keep your name out of it. Besides, it would very likely ruin him, disgusting little beggar.”
“You leave him to me! He roared his throat to a frazzle the other night, and can’t make a sound, but he’ll come round as soon as he’s better, and then if I don’t give it to him! Little cuss!... But I’m to blame, too, Gerald. You told me over and over that I oughtn’t to encourage him to gossip as I did, but I went right on doing it because it was as good as a play to hear him tell his queer stories in his queer English. It amused me, I’ve no other excuse. I sort of knew all the time that it was wrong. And so he got bolder and bolder and finally overstepped the line. And now I’ve got my come-uppance. I’ll settle him, trust me, and I’ll write to Antonia, and I’ll write the two gentlemen, if you’ll just tell me where to write.”
“Must I tell you again that you are above all things to do nothing of the kind? Not certainly if you think of continuing to live in Florence. Leave the matter to me. 259I am well acquainted with everybody in question and shall be able to satisfy them, I hope, while leaving them completely in the dark as to the real culprit.”