be a
sensational trial in which he and Regina would be witnesses together,
and Kalmon too, and very surely Aurora and her mother. For Aurora would
be called upon to tell what she knew of Marcello's movements on the
morning when he had been knocked down near the gap.

Every moment of his past life would be publicly examined, to prove
Corbario's guilt. Worse than that, there would be a long inquiry to show
that Corbario had murdered his mother. Skilled surgeons were tending the
man's wounds and reviving him by every means that science could suggest.
Kalmon said that he might live. He was being kept alive in order to be
condemned to the expiation of his crimes in penal servitude, since
Italian law could not make him pay for them with his life. The man would
be watched by day and night, lest he should try to commit suicide, for
he was to suffer, if he lived. He was to suffer horribly, without doubt,
and it was right and just that he should. But Marcello would suffer too.
That was not just. The name of his saintly mother would be in the mouths
of all kinds of witnesses, in the columns of all sorts of newspapers.
Lawyers would make speeches about her to excite the pity of the jury and
to turn the whole tide of feeling against Corbario. Marcello would
himself be held up to public commiseration, as one of Corbario's
victims. There would be allusions covert and open to Regina and to the
position in which she stood to Marcello. There would be talk about
Aurora. People would suddenly remember her mother's sad story and
gossip about her; people would certainly say that there had been talk
about marrying Aurora to Marcello, and that Regina had come between
them. Yes, there would be much talk about Aurora; that was certain.

All this was coming, and was not far off, if Corbario lived; and even if
he died there would be a vast amount said and written about all the
people concerned.

And Regina was there, beside him, telling him that if they were married
they could go on living in the little house, just as if nothing had
happened. It was not true, but he could not find heart to tell her so.
It was the first time that any suggestion of marriage had come from her,
who had always told him that marriage was impossible. If she wished it
now, could he refuse?

Suddenly he knew that he had reached one of the great cross-roads in his
life, and that fate had dragged him violently to it within the last few
hours, to make him choose his way.