It was a simple enough object, made of plain
gold, the head being twisted into the shape of the letter C, but
there was no mistaking its identity, for Giovanni had designed it
himself. Corona used it for fastening her veil.
As the blood sank from his head to his heart Giovanni grew very
calm. He set the candle upon the toilet-table and took the note,
after putting the pin in his pocket. The handwriting seemed to be
feigned, and his lip curled scornfully as he looked at it and
then, turning it over, saw that the envelope was one of Corona's
own. It seemed to him a pitiable piece of folly in her to distort
her writing when there was such abundant proof on all sides to
convict her. Without the slightest hesitation he opened the letter
and read it, bending down and holding it near the candle. One
perusal was enough. He smiled curiously as he read the words, "I
am so watched that I can do nothing. Some one suspects something."
His attention was arrested by the statement that a trusty person--
the words were underlined--would bring the note. The meaning of
the emphasis was explained by the pin; the trusty person was
herself, who, perhaps by an afterthought, had left the bit of gold
as a parting gift in case Gouache marched before they met again.
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