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The company at last arrived at the extremity of the valley; the

countenance of the Unknown became more serene, and Don Abbondio

recovered in some degree his usual composure; but still his mind

was occupied with more distant evils. "What will this fool Don

Roderick say? To be exposed thus to scoffs and jests-how sorely

will he feel it! he'll certainly play the devil outright! Perhaps

he will seek another quarrel with me because I have been engaged

in this cursed business! Having had the heart to send those two

demons to attack me in the road, what he will do now, heaven

knows. He cannot molest my lord the cardinal, because he is

obviously beyond his reach; he will be obliged to champ the bit.

However, the poison will be in his veins, and he will need to

discharge it somewhere. It is well known how these affairs end;

the blows always fall on the weakest. The cardinal will busy

himself with placing Lucy in safety; this other poor devil is

beyond his reach, but what is to become of me?