Reflect maturely, therefore, on all the facts, and thou
wilt come, in time, to see the impossibility of thine own innocence.
First, thou left the path, being ahead of Jacques Colis, to enter it at a
moment suited to thy purposes: then thou took'st his life for gold--"
"But this is believing that to be true, Signor Bailiff, which is only yet
supposed," interrupted Il Maledetto; "I left the path to give Nettuno his
charge apart from curious eyes; and, as for the gold of which you speak,
would the owner of a necklace of that price be apt to barter his soul
against a booty like this which comes of Jacques Colis!"
Maso spoke with a contempt which did not serve his cause; for it left the
impression among the auditors, that he weighed the morality and immorality
of his acts simply by their result.
"It is time to bring this to an end," said the Signor Grimaldi, who had
been thoughtful and melancholy while the others spoke: "thou hast
something to address particularly to me, Maso; but if thy claim is no
better than that of our common country, I grieve to say, it cannot be
admitted.
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