"My business with Russia shall set me up again! 'E una fatalita!' This maledetto polacco! If only they had massacred him at Ostrolenka, or beaten him to death with the knout in Siberia. He is a gambler by profession, and believes to be in possession of the only luck-bringing theory; but his theory is folly, while the misfortune is that he is fortunate. It is the second time already that he has broken my bank--without him I should be the luckiest player! He exercises an evil eye upon me--I curse him!"
"Leave that alone! The misfortune is the gambling--give it up, Baluzzi! You will ruin yourself, and us with you."
"She still sings splendidly; while the gold of her voice resounds, gold will resound in her money box."
"But her voice is deteriorating."
"Bad fellows say so, and I punished one of them lately. Her voice is still first-rate capital, will bring interest for long yet; there is no want of it."
"We shall come to want! You are a leech, an outrageous leech! She can hardly pay for her own dress! And, to-day, bad luck again! No sooner are your debts paid than a new demand menaces us. You are a bankrupt every eight days."
"I will give up gambling now; I have no luck. But business is hazard, too; the Russian frontier Guards are no joke."
"Can you pursue no respectable business?"
"Fill a paper bag with quattrini, every day another farthing, and lie down to sleep happily when one paper bag is full, and a fresh one can be twisted up--that is not my style! I do business on a large scale, I would live grandly, I must, therefore, risk much! All or nothing--va banque! What else can I do with your little honorariums? You have no right to interfere with me; you deceive me, and you especially, little Satan; you rouse her against me, and spin tissues of lies, and persuade her to plead poverty. But I will sweep away the spider's web you have woven, malicious spider that you are, and trample you under foot."
The Italian assumed a menacing aspect; Beate kept her hand upon the dagger.