"Contessa, you—you—" He could not go on and turned appealingly to the others.
"You say he is dead?" she inquired dully. "How can that be when you told me there was no danger?"
"I did not know. Oh—" he lowered his working features. "If it had only been I, instead!"
She nodded. "That would have been better."
From somewhere to the rear of the house came the shrill screams of
Lucrezia, and the Countess cried: "Poor child! They did not even spare
Ricardo, but—after all, he was only a father."
Neri said, gently: "Let me help you, Signorina. The doctor is with your aunt, but I will call him."
"He cannot give me back Martel," she answered in the same dull, lifeless tone.
Voices, footsteps, sounded outside and a man in the cocked hat and uniform of a lieutenant of carbineers came briskly into the hall and saluted his superior.
"We are ready, sir."
The Countess roused herself, saying: "Then come! I too am ready."