It was true that Doria had wedded Pendean's widow; but that he
should have slain her husband in order to do so appeared a grotesque
assumption. Moreover, as a student of character, Mark could not
honestly find in Jenny's husband any characteristics that argued a
malevolent attitude to life. He was a pleasure-loving spirit and his
outlook and ambitions, while frivolous, were certainly not criminal.
He talked of the smugglers a good deal and declared himself in
sympathy with them; but it was gasconade; he evinced no particular
physical bravery; he was fond of his comforts and seemed little
likely to risk his own liberty by association with breakers of law
and order.
A startling proof that Mark had not erred in this estimate was
afforded by a conversation which he enjoyed with Doria on a day soon
after the departure of Albert Redmayne and his friend. Giuseppe and
his wife had planned to visit an acquaintance at Colico, to the
northward of the lake; and before the steamer started, after noon,
the two men took a stroll in the hills a mile above Menaggio.
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