Settimia
would deny having had any communication with Corbario, or that she knew
anything of his whereabouts. The next step would probably be to tempt
her with money or other presents. If this failed, what was to be done?
Somehow Regina guessed that a bribe would not have much effect on the
woman.
Marcello had wished to send her away long ago, but Regina had persuaded
him to let her stay. It was part of her hatred of Corbario to accumulate
proofs against him, and they were not lacking in the letters he wrote to
Settimia. Regina could not understand the relation in which they stood
to each other, but now and then she had found passages in the letters
which referred neither to herself nor Marcello, but to things that had
happened a good many years ago in another country. She was convinced
that the two had once been companions in some nefarious business, of
which they had escaped the consequences. It was her intention to find
out exactly what the deed had been, and then to bring Corbario to ruin
by exposing it. It was a simple scheme, but it seemed a sure one, and
Regina was very patient. Corbario had tried to separate her from
Marcello, and she had sworn that he should pay her for that; and
besides, he had wished to kill Marcello in order to get his money. That
was bad, undoubtedly--very bad; but to her peasant mind it was not
unnatural. She had heard all her life of crimes committed for the sake
of an inheritance; and so have most of us, and in countries that fondly
believe themselves much more civilised than Italy.
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