sprung to her feet in happy surprise when Marcello had entered
the room, though it was not two hours since he had left her, and she
could still smell the smoke of his last cigarette. She had felt a
sudden chill when she had seen his face, for she never saw him look
grave and preoccupied without believing that he had grown suddenly tired
of her, and that the end had come. But then she had seen his eyes
lighten for her, and she had known that he was not tired of her, but
only very much in earnest and very much in a hurry.

He had bidden her find out from Settimia where Corbario was, if the
woman knew it; he had told her to find out at any cost, and had put a
great deal of emphasis on the last words. In answer to the one question
she asked, he told her that Corbario was a murderer, and was trying to
escape. He had not time to explain more fully, but he knew that he could
count on her. She did not love Folco Corbario, and she came of a race
that could hate, for it was the race of the Roman hill peasants. So he
left her quickly and went on.

But when he was gone, Regina sat quite still for some time, looking at
the fire. Settimia was safe in her own room, and was probably asleep. It
would be soon enough to wake her when Regina had considered what she
should say in order to get the information Marcello wanted. 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