Page 367 - The Grotesque Children's Book

Allesandro Allori there-there-there’d, and put his arm around Carola, vowing to vouch
for her honor and to testify to her honest character. Meanwhile, he advised that Carola
accompany him and the ladies-in-waiting to Lady Bianca to explain the situation, and for Carola
not to protest when the ladies accuse her of burglary. Her innocence would prevail.

Carola saw the terrible situation she was in, for she had stolen one of the jewels once, she
knew, and now she knew that one of the ladies was more than willing to vomit up what she had
witnessed. On the other hand, I didn’t take ‘em this time, thought Carola with indignity. How
ironic that the time I returned the theft I got caught, but the time I did nothing there were no
witnesses. Do I trust Allesandro, though? Will he testify to my character? And...would my
character matter to anyone? That’s not what would be on trial. There would need to be
evidence, wouldn’t there? They would need to find in my rooms either the jewels or a great deal
of money which....Oh no. My two hundred seven soldi from betting on Tozzo! If they find those
soldi, they’ll assume I stole and sold the jewels. Would they think I would have sold the jewels
for such a paltry sum? How stupid would I need to be to have accepted a mere two hundred
seven soldi for all that jewelry?! Ooo, they’d call me stupid. They wouldn’t believe I’d won the
money gambling. I could bring in the eye witnesses who saw me win the money. But...a bunch of
drunks, the lot of them! Their word against the ladies of the court. For a single denari, the
drunk louts would testify anything against anybody. And...the timing! Allesandro and I haven’t
had a portrait sitting since before I won the money, so that’s not going to look good. Oh, this is
awful. Either I deny the false charges and the ferocious third lady in waiting exposes the true
theft of the Red Dragon. Or I admit the fake charges and they’re likely to stick. My only chance,
my only chance...is that the court believes in Truth of Evidence. And no evidence can be found
against me, for I didn’t take those jewels. (Who did?)

Carola chose the latter: to hope in the honesty and integrity of the Italian justice system.

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