If Settimia had not written about the
Contessa, why had she written at all? How did she know where Corbario
was stopping in Saint Moritz? Was she in the habit of writing to him?
Corbario had found her for Regina; was Settimia helping Corbario to
exercise a sort of paternal vigilance over him? Somehow Marcello did not
like that idea at all. So far as he knew, Folco had always been
singularly frank with him, and had never deceived him in the smallest
thing, even "for his own good." Marcello could only attribute good
motives to him, but the mere idea of being watched was excessively
disagreeable. He wondered whether Settimia had influenced Regina to get
him away from Paris, acting under directions from Corbario. Was Regina
deceiving him too, "for his own good"? If there is anything a man cannot
bear from those he loves best, it is that they should take counsel
together secretly to direct him "for his own good."
Marcello tried to put the thought out of his mind; but it had dawned
upon him for the first time that Folco could tell even a pious
falsehood. Yet he had no proof whatever that he had guessed right; it
was a sudden impression and nothing more. He was much more silent during
the rest of the afternoon as he drove up to Pontresina with Folco, and
it seemed to him that he had at last touched something definite; which
was strange enough, considering that it was all a matter of guess-work
and doubt.
Pages:
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230