“There is a word that might be uttered in his hearing, and, once it was pronounced, he would have a horror of me at once and for ever.”
In the middle of the night, one of Vanina’s servants came abruptly into her room. This man was a carbonaro, though she did not suspect it. So, then, Missirilli had secrets from her, even about details like that. She shuddered. The man had come to warn Missirilli that during the night the houses of nineteen carbonari at Forli had been searched, and they themselves arrested the moment they returned from the lodge. Although taken by surprise, nine had escaped. The carabineers had been able to take ten of them to prison in the citadel. On entering it, one of them had thrown himself down the well, which is very deep, and had killed himself.
Vanina was covered with confusion; fortunately Pietro did not observe it: he could have read her crime in her eyes.... “At this very moment,” the servant added, “the garrison of Forli is forming a cordon in all the streets. Each soldier is within speaking distance of his neighbour. The inhabitants cannot cross from one side of the street to the other except where an officer is stationed.”
After the man had gone, Pietro was pensive, but only for an instant.
“There is nothing that can be done for the moment,” he said at last.
Vanina was like to die; she trembled beneath her lover’s glance.
“Whatever is wrong with you?” he said at last.
Then he began to think about something else, and ceased to look at her. About the middle of the day, she ventured to say to him:
“That’s another lodge discovered; I should think you’ll keep quiet for some time now.”
“Very quiet,” Missirilli answered, with a smile that made her shudder.