you know; therefore it wasn't incumbent on them to be honest. They
are still there in the old respectable warehouse, I understand.
They have kept their position in their quartier, I believe. But
they didn't keep their niece. It might have been an act of
sacrifice! For I seem to remember hearing that after attending for
a while some school round the corner the child had been set to keep
the books of that orange business. However it might have been, the
first fact in Rita's and Allegre's common history is a journey to
Italy, and then to Corsica. You know Allegre had a house in
Corsica somewhere. She has it now as she has everything he ever
had; and that Corsican palace is the portion that will stick the
longest to Dona Rita, I imagine. Who would want to buy a place
like that? I suppose nobody would take it for a gift. The fellow
was having houses built all over the place. This very house where
we are sitting belonged to him. Dona Rita has given it to her
sister, I understand. Or at any rate the sister runs it. She is
my landlady . . ."

"Her sister here!" I exclaimed. "Her sister!"

Blunt turned to me politely, but only for a long mute gaze. His
eyes were in deep shadow and it struck me for the first time then
that there was something fatal in that man's aspect as soon as he
fell silent. I think the effect was purely physical, but in
consequence whatever he said seemed inadequate and as if produced
by a commonplace, if uneasy, soul.

"Dona Rita brought her down from her mountains on purpose. She is
asleep somewhere in this house, in one of the vacant rooms. She
lets them, you know, at extortionate prices, that is, if people