"Unpleasant it will be, doubtless; the whole affair has not been a
pleasant one for anybody concerned in it, Signor Marchese--for any
one in Ravenna, I may say. But you may depend upon it that it will
be the wish of the court and of everybody present to make it as
little painful to you as possible. And it is my very serious and
very urgent advice to you to make the necessary exertion, and not to
express to any one either the intention or the wish to absent
yourself."
And then the lawyer took his leave--not surprised that the Marchese,
broken down and in the state in which he saw him, should feel it
very disagreeable to face his fellow citizens on the occasion of the
trial; but, perhaps, having some other thoughts in his mind besides
those he expressed as to the ill effect likely to be produced by any
refusal of the Marchese to make his appearance in the court.
CHAPTER VI
The Trial
The police authorities were longer in preparing their case than
Signor Fortini had anticipated they would be; but at length it was
known throughout the city that the day for the trial had been fixed.
It was to take place on a Monday morning towards the latter part of
Lent.
It had been rumoured in the city that the delay had been occasioned
by hopes which the authorities had conceived that the female
prisoner would be induced to make confession of the crime.
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