Bosio had possessed a competency, which, as he died intestate, became the inheritance of his brother.  But the latter, owing to the time required for the legal formalities, had not been able to get possession of the money before he became insane, and was placed in an asylum at Aversa, where he was probably to remain until he died.  Bosio’s little fortune remained intact, and the use of it reverted to Matilde Macomer.  Veronica paid Gregorio’s expenses at the asylum.

As for the Macomer property, she found herself obliged to raise money to meet the mortgages which were due on the first of January after the final catastrophe, since Macomer had used up her income and left her momentarily in difficulties.  The banker who was managing matters for her advanced the sums necessary out of his private fortune, and the estate at Caserta, together with the Palazzo Macomer in Naples, became the property of Veronica Serra.  By the estimates made they were worth more than the money raised upon them by mortgage, and by the deeds of sale the balance was to be paid to Matilde.  This, with Bosio’s property, was enough to make her independent, and, for the time being, Veronica allowed her to live in the house.

Lamberto Squarci was called in constantly, as having been Macomer’s agent.  By agreement, Veronica caused the accounts of the estate to be balanced from Macomer’s books, so that everything appeared to be in order, and she formally took over her fortune from Matilde and Cardinal Campodonico, who knew nothing of the true state of affairs.  Since Veronica knew everything and was satisfied, it was not necessary that he should be informed of what had taken place, and this secrecy was the keeping of Veronica’s promise that Matilde should be safe.

When all was settled upon a permanent basis, Veronica found herself still exceedingly rich.  Matilde was provided for.  Gregorio was in the insane asylum.  The cardinal and the world at large were in total ignorance of all the truth except the facts which could not be concealed; namely, that Bosio Macomer had killed himself and that his brother was mad.  The latter fact explained the former; for everybody said that there was insanity in the family, and that Bosio had been mad, too.

Veronica’s first, chiefest, and most immediate difficulty lay in finding a reason which she could give Bianca and the cardinal for refusing to live any longer with her aunt.  She cared very little what society might say, for she was at once too inexperienced to attach the true measure of importance to its opinion, or to understand that the unhappy Princess Corleone was not in a position to socially take the place of a chaperon; and, at the same time, she was too great a personage to be easily intimidated by the fear of gossip.  Bianca was her friend, and to her she went unhesitatingly, feeling quite sure that she was doing right.

There were people, however, who thought differently; first among whom were the cardinal and the Duchessa della Spina, Gianluca’s mother.  The cardinal did not return from Rome until after the first of January, but the duchessa came to see Veronica at Bianca’s villa within a few days after Veronica had left her aunt.