He will not tell you that, and he does not know that before
they had taken him twenty paces from the door, Giovanni was already
here, locked in and trying the stones with a hammer to find out which
one covered the precious book. Did Giovanni tell you that this morning?
No. Zorzi would not tell you all the truth, and I know some of it even
better than he. But Zorzi was always generous and brave."
Beroviero had lifted his head now and was looking hard at her.
"And your mantle? How came it here?" he asked.
There was nothing to be done now, but to speak the truth.
"It is here," said Marietta, growing paler, "because I came here,
unknown to any one except Pasquale who let me in, because I came alone
last night to warn the man I love that Giovanni had planned his
destruction, and to save him if I could. In my haste I left the mantle
in that chair of yours, in which I had been sitting. It slipped from my
shoulders as I sat, and there Giovanni must have found it. If you had
seen it there you would know that what I say is true."
"I did see it," said Beroviero. "Giovanni left it where it was, and I
folded it myself this morning. Zorzi did not steal the mantle. I take
back that accusation."
"Nor has he stolen your secrets. Take that back, too, if you are just.
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