The listeners learnt with
astonishment that the obstinate heretic was treated as though her
father had had no cause of complaint against her; she was now
mistress of the Surrentine estate, as well as of the great house in
Rome, and of other property. A lamentable thing, the deacon admitted
suavely; but, for his part, he was not without hope, and he fixed
his eyes with a peculiar intensity on the troubled bishop.
Petronilla drew near. The will was already known to her in every
detail, and she harboured a keen suspicion of the secret which lay
behind it. Leander, she could not doubt, was behaving to her with
duplicity, and this grieved her to the heart. It was to the bishop
that she now addressed herself.
'Holy father, I am your suppliant. Not even for a day will I remain
under this roof, even if--which is doubtful--I should be
suffered to do so. I put myself under the protection of your
Holiness, until such time as I can set forth on my sad journey to
Rome. At Surrentum I must abide until the corpse of my brother can
be conveyed to its final resting place--as I promised him.
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