Beth could not take her eyes off this dreadful evidence of her late conflict, and stared at it as if the bandage fascinated her.
"Signore," said the Duke, addressing Uncle John especially, "I owe to you my apologies and my excuses for the annoyance I have caused to you and your friends.

I have the explanation, if you will so kindly permit me." "Fire away, Duke," was the response.
"Signore, I unfortunately come of a race of brigands.

For centuries my family has been lawless and it was natural that by education I, too, should become a brigand.

In my youth my father was killed in an affray and my mother took his place, seizing many prisoners and exacting from them ransom.

My mother you have seen, and you know of her sudden madness and of her death.