The two in the other room did not at first see him. He spoke, and their arms slackened and they stood apart.
After a moment of silence Rossi spoke. "Roma," he said, "what is this gentleman doing here?"
The Baron laughed. "Wouldn't it be more reasonable to ask what you are doing here, sir?" he asked.
Then trying to put into logical sequence the confused ideas which were besieging his tormented brain, he said, "I understand that this apartment belongs now to the lady; the lady belongs to me, and when she denounced you to the police it was merely in fulfilment of a plan we concocted together on the day you insulted both of us in your speech in the piazza."
Rossi made a step forward with a threatening gesture, but Roma intervened. The Baron gripped firmly the revolver in his pocket, and said:
"Take care, sir. If a man threatens me he must be prepared for the consequences. The lady knows what those consequences may be."
Rossi, breathing heavily, was trying to retain the mastery of himself.
"If you tell me that the lady...."
"I tell you that according to the law of nature and of reason the lady is my wife."
"It's a lie."