Governor's palace before mid-day, and ask whether Zorzi is to be let
out?"

"Of course I can. By and by I will call him. He is busy cleaning the
gondola now."

Marietta had spoken quite quietly, though she had expected that her
voice would shake, and she had been almost sure that she was going to
blush. But nothing so dreadful happened, though she had prepared for it
by turning her back on Nella. She sat on the edge of the bed, slowly
feeling her way into her little yellow leathern slippers. It was a
relief to know that even now she could speak of Zorzi without giving any
outward sign of emotion, and she felt a little encouraged, as she began
the dreaded day.

She took a long time in dressing, for she expected at every moment that
her sister-in-law's maid would knock at the door with a message from
Giovanni, bidding her come to him before he went out. But no one came,
though it was already past the hour at which he usually left the house.
All at once she heard his unmistakable voice through the open window,
and on looking out through the flowers she saw him standing at the open
door of the glass-house, talking with the porter, or rather, giving
instructions about the garden which Pasquale received in surly silence.

Marietta listened in surprise. It seemed impossible that Giovanni should
not take her to task at once if he had found the mantle. He was not the
kind of man to put off accusing any one when he had proof of guilt and
was sure that the law was on his side, and Marietta felt sure that the
evidence against her was overwhelming, for she had yet to learn what
amazing things can be done with impunity by people who have the
reputation of perfect innocence.

Giovanni was telling Pasquale, in a tone which every one might hear,
that he had sent for a gardener, who would soon come with a lad to help
him, that the two must be admitted at once, and that he himself would
be within to receive them; but that no one else was to be allowed to go
in, as he should be extremely busy all the morning. Having said these
things three or four times over, in order to impress them on Pasquale's
mind, he went in. The porter looked up at Marietta's window a moment,
and then followed him and shut the door. It was clear that Giovanni had
no intention of speaking to his sister before the mid-day meal. She
breathed more freely, since she was to have a respite of several hours.

When she was dressed, Nella called the gondolier from her