speculations in the city, nor of financial transactions in general, as at present understood, and he had recently heard of cases in which individuals had succeeded beyond their own wildest expectations.  There was, perhaps, no reason why Orsino should not do as well as other people, or even better, in spite of his extreme youth.  Andrea Contini was probably a man of superior talent, well able to have directed the whole affair alone, if other circumstances had been favourable to him, and there was on the whole nothing to prove that the two young men had received more than their fair share of assistance or accommodation from the bank.  But Giovanni knew well enough that Del Ferice was the most influential personage in the bank in question, and the mere suggestion of his name lent to the whole affair a suspicious quality which disturbed Orsino’s father.  In spite of all reasonable reflexions there was an air of unnatural good fortune in the case which he did not like, and he had enough experience of Del Ferice’s tortuous character to distrust his intentions.  He would have preferred to see his son lose money through Ugo rather than that Orsino should owe the latter the smallest thanks.  The fact that he had not spoken with the man for over twenty years did not increase the confidence he felt in him.  In that time Del Ferice had developed into a very important personage, having much greater power to do harm than he had possessed in former days, and it was not to be supposed that he had forgotten old wounds or given up all hope of avenging them.  Del Ferice was not very subject to that sort of forgetfulness.

When Corona had finished speaking, Giovanni was silent for a few moments.

“Is it not splendid?” Corona asked enthusiastically.  “Why do you not say anything?  One would think that you were not pleased.”

“On the contrary, as far as Orsino is concerned, I am delighted.  But I do not trust Del Ferice.”

“Del Ferice is far too clever a man to ruin Orsino,” answered Corona.

“Exactly.  That is the trouble.  That is what makes me feel that though Orsino has worked hard and shown extraordinary intelligence—­and deserves credit for that—­yet he would not have succeeded in the same way if he had dealt with any other bank.  Del Ferice has helped him.  Possibly Orsino knows that, as well as we do, but he certainly does not know what part Del Ferice played in our lives, Corona.  If he did, he would not accept his help.”

In her turn Corona was silent and a look of disappointment came into her face.  She remembered a certain afternoon in the mountains when she had entreated Giovanni to let Del Ferice escape, and Giovanni had yielded reluctantly and had given the fugitive a guide to take him to the frontier.  She wondered whether the generous impulse of that day was to bear evil fruit at last.

“Orsino knows nothing about it at all,” she said at last.  “We kept the secret of Del Ferice’s escape very carefully—­for there were good reasons to be careful in those days.  Orsino only knows that you once fought a duel with the man and wounded him.”