“Beppo has no idea at all,” said the Marchesa impressively.
Lowering her voice a little, she asked suddenly, “How much money have you lent the Countess Polda since you arrived at Monte Carlo?”
“I have lent Aunt Cosy nothing!” cried Lily vehemently. “She has never asked me to lend her a farthing!”
“Then where did she get the money she sent by you to Beppo this morning?” exclaimed the Marchesa imperiously.
“She didn’t send me with any money this morning,” exclaimed Lily. “She simply sent Beppo a little parcel.”
“A little parcel?” mimicked the older woman. “And what do you think was in that little parcel?”
“I don’t know,” said Lily, bewildered.
“Then I will tell you. In that ‘little parcel’ were twenty-five thousand francs in Bank of France notes! Do you seriously tell me that you had no idea of the very valuable parcel you were carrying? There was a letter in the parcel,” continued the Marchesa slowly, “and that letter I made Beppo show me.”
She walked across to the writing-table, unlocked a long narrow drawer, and took from it a letter:
“My dear Son,