“At this, excellency, he fidgeted upon his chair, and made a little gesture of impatience.
“‘There are a hundred reasons,’ said he.
“‘Body of my soul,’ said I, ‘but I would like to hear them! And if it comes to that, Father, let me tell you that I can conceive no greater happiness for my child than a union so exalted, so noble, so worthy of her beauty, as this would be. A hundred reasons! Santa Maria, what talk!’
“I made my answer so, not believing a word I said, but intending to hide from him any appearance of falling in too readily with his suggestions. And in this I succeeded beyond my expectations. His tone became less confident; he filled my glass again and drew his chair yet nearer.
“‘You misunderstand me, my friend,’ said he. ‘It may be as you say; he may even contemplate a step so disastrous to his ambitions and his house. It lies upon us who have his interests at heart—and with his interests the interests of the child also—to save him from himself and his reckless will. We can do that in one way only—by sending her to Sebenico.’
“I nodded my head gravely, and he proceeded:
“‘You, I am well aware, are in no way able to bear so heavy a burden. That knowledge makes me the more willing to contemplate some personal sacrifice in any proposal I have to make. I am not a rich man, but if you, demanding the charge of Christine as a right,—and I believe such guardianship was conferred upon you by her brother’s will,—should carry her to the convent of the Perpetual Adoration, I on my part will pay all the charges incurred by her education there, and, moreover, will ask you to accept a thousand francs a year for any expense you may be put to in the matter. Thus alone can we save the Count from himself and the child from the peril. You follow me, signor?’
“I followed him well enough, excellency, for my brain was very busy as he spoke. And one thing was plain to me from the first. If Count Paul meant to marry Christine, then could I look for something more than a thousand francs a year from her. ‘She will never forget the hand which gave her bread,’ I thought; ‘she may even appoint me to some place about the house wherein the weight of my years may be made light.’ On the other hand, if there was danger to be faced, then was it my duty to accept the priest’s offer; ‘for,’ said I, ‘in that case my presence will be a reproach to them, and they will turn me away from their gates.’ But my difficulty was to read the Count’s intention aright; and until I had so done it was not prudent that I should either reject or accept the offer of the priest.
“‘Father,’ said I, ‘your words are the words of a righteous man. Let me think upon them until to-morrow, and then you shall have my answer. Meanwhile there is one possibility we have both forgotten in weighing up these chances. I refer to the man Ugo Klun, who before the law, if not before God, is Christine’s husband. How do we know that he is dead?’
“This was my saying to him; yet, God knows, I had done better to have cut off my right hand than to have spoken so foolishly. No sooner had he heard the words than his face flushed with the blood which ran up to it, and clutching me by the arm so that his fingers seemed to touch my bone, he asked: