memory
the contents of his grandfather's letter and will, he greatly softened
the injurious expressions used against his father and grandmother. In
the middle of his recital Luisa, who had not expected such a revelation,
raised her head from her husband's shoulder. He stopped. "Go on," said
she.

When he had finished she asked if there was any proof that his
grandfather's will had been suppressed. Franco promptly answered that
there was not. "Then," said she, "why did you speak of the ideas I
might conceive?" Her thoughts had immediately flown to the probability
of his grandmother's crime, to the possibility of a prosecution. But if
prosecution were not possible?

Franco did not answer, and she exclaimed, after a moment's reflection,
"Ah! the copy of the will! Could that be used? Would that be valid?"

"Yes."

"And you would not use it?"

"No."

"Why not, Franco?"

"There!" Franco exclaimed. "You see? I knew you would say so! No, I will
not make use of it! No, no, never!"

"But what reasons have you for not doing so?"

"Good Lord! My reasons! My reasons can be felt. You should feel them
without my having to explain them."

"I do not feel them. Don't imagine I am thinking of the money. We will
not touch the money. Give it to whomever you like; I feel the claims of
justice. There are your grandfather's wishes to be respected; there is
the crime your grandmother has committed. You who are so religious
should perceive that Divine Justice has brought this document to light.
Would you place yourself between this woman and Divine Justice?"

"Let Divine Justice alone," Franco retorted, hotly. "What do we know of
the ways of Divine Justice? There is also Divine Mercy. She is my
father's mother, think of that! And have I not always despised this
accursed money? What did I do when my grandmother threatened not to
leave me a penny if I married you?"

Unable to speak, he drew Luisa's head to his breast.

"I despised the money for your sake," he went on in a stifled voice.
"Would you have me try to regain it now by going to law?"

"No indeed!" Luisa broke in, raising her head. "You may give the money
to whomever you wish. I am talking of justice. Don't you also feel the
demand of justice?"

"_Dio mio!_" said he, with a deep sigh. "It would have been better if I
had not spoken to-night."

"Yes, perhaps. If you were bound never to alter your decision, it would
perhaps have been wiser."

Luisa's voice expressed s