Victorine there preparing things for the night. And as
soon as she heard where he had been she raised her voice in protest:
"What! you have again been to the quay at this time of night, Monsieur
l'Abbe? You want to get a good knife thrust yourself, it seems. Well, for
my part, I certainly wouldn't take the air at such a late hour in this
dangerous city." Then, with her wonted familiarity, she turned and spoke
to the Prince, who was lying back in an arm-chair and smiling: "That
girl, La Pierina," she said, "hasn't been back here, but all the same
I've lately seen her prowling about among the building materials."

Dario raised his hand to silence her, and, addressing Pierre, exclaimed:
"But you spoke to her, didn't you? It's becoming idiotic! Just fancy that
brute Tito coming back to dig his knife into my other shoulder--"

All at once he paused, for he had just perceived Benedetta standing there
and listening to him; she had slipped into the room a moment previously
in order to wish him good-night. At sight of her his embarrassment was
great indeed; he wished to speak, explain his words, and swear that he
was wholly innocent in the affair. But she, with a smiling face,
contented herself with saying, "I knew all about it, Dario _mio_. I am
not so foolish as not to have thought it all over and understood the
truth. If I ceased questioning you it was because I knew, and loved you
all the same."

The young woman looked very happy as she spoke, and for this she had good
cause, for that very evening she had learnt that Monsignor Palma had
shown himself grateful for the service rendered to his nephew by laying a
fresh and favourable memoir on the marriage affair before the
Congregation of the Council. He had been unwilling to recall his previous
opinions so far as to range himself completely on the Contessina's side,
but the certificates of two doctors whom she had recently seen had
enabled him to conclude that her own declarations were accurate. And
gliding over the question of wifely obedience, on which he had previously
laid stress, he had skilfully set forth the reasons which made a
dissolution of the marriage desirable. No hope of reconciliation could be
entertained, so it was certain that both parties were constantly exposed
to temptation and sin. He discreetly alluded to the fact that the husband
had already succumbed to this danger, and praised the wife's lofty
morality and piety, all the virtues which she displayed,