" For him, a decision was not irrevocable, as he could denounce me
later, and plead that I had been spared at first, through kindness of
heart. But I did not stop to consider that detail. I saw the man and
myself as accomplices, on an equal footing, each having given quarter to
the other. As for the girl, I still thought of her hardly at all, in
spite of Brian's words. She was an unknown quantity, which I would waste
no time in studying, while the situation that opened bade me sharpen my
wits.
In the five or ten minutes before we joined them the Becketts had
consented--or offered--to help finance the Red Cross crusade. To achieve
this was worthy of the Irish-Italian's talents. But the little dining
room was littered with samples of the travellers' goods: clothing for
repatriated refugees, hospital supplies; papier-mache splints, and even
legs; shoes, stockings, medicines; soup-tablets, and chocolates. The
O'Farrells might be doing evil, but good would apparently come from it
for many. I could hardly advise the Becketts against giving money, even
though I suspected that most of it would stick to O'Farrell's
fingers--even though I knew that the hope of it consoled Signor Giulio
di Napoli for leaving me in my safe niche. Yes, that was his
consolation, I realized. And--there might be something more which I did
not yet foresee. Still, being no better than he was, I was coward enough
to hold my peace.
This was the situation when we set out for Nancy, our big car running
slowly, in order not to outpace the rickety Red Cross cab.
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