"What would that be?"
"It is in my power to cause the marriage to be declared null and void."
"By appealing to your bishop, I suppose. In that event Donna Veronica
would have to be told."
"There is another way."
"Then why do you not take it and act at once? Why do you hesitate?"
Taquisara watched him keenly.
"Because it would mean the sacrifice of my whole existence. I am human.
I hesitate, as long as there is any other hope."
"I do not understand. As for sacrificing your existence--that must be an
exaggeration."
"Not at all. If it were only my own, I should not have hesitated,
perhaps. I do not know. But what I should do would involve a great and
direct injury to many others--to hundreds of other people."
Taquisara looked at him harder than ever, understanding him less and
less.
"You seem to have a secret," he said at last, thoughtfully.
"Yes," answered the priest, resting his elbow on the old table and
shading his eyes with his hand, though there was no strong light to
dazzle him. "Yes--yes," he repeated. "I have a secret, a great secret.
I cannot tell it to you--not even to you, though you are one of the most
discreet men I ever met. You must forgive me, but I cannot."
"I do not wish to know it," replied Taquisara. "Especially not, if it
concerns many people."
A short silence followed, during which neither moved, nor looked at the
other.
"Don Teodoro," asked the Sicilian, at last, in a low voice, "please tell
me your view of the case, as a priest.
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