Just when I thought things were proceeding well, my complacency has been shaken and I am now in a state of worry and fear. I had happily settled into a routine as Conte Foscari's administrative secretary--spending three days a week dealing with his correspondence and familiarizing myself with the nature of his business. Then, on Friday, I came across a letter that was among the rest of the count's papers. It was signed by someone with the name of Saturnines who, by the servile tone of the words, is apparently an employee of the Conte.

The letter comes from Venezia and contans a warning that Mercury Gandt is in the employ of the Sbirri, the corrupt police of La Serenissima. They have been paying him to spy on the Foscari family, and most particularly upon the Contessa. I sat there in cold shock, reading the letter over and over again registering the implications. If what Saturnines says is true, sweet innocent-looking Mercury has betrayed all of us! I knew he was short of scudi but this was too much! I could not believe it. All of my heart and soul wanted to reject what the words on the paper, written in a tight crabbed hand, were saying. Putting my face in my hands, I wept in sadness and disappointment.

I decided to share the contents of the letter with the only friend I know I can trust, Hugo. I contacted him on Saturday as he was leaving Aphrodite's Cafe. We arranged to meet later on, in the library of the Villa when no one else would be about. He arrived punctually and we sat down together. Recognizing by the expression on my face that I was in severe distress, Hugo dispensed with all pleasantries and quicky asked me how he could be of service. I handed the letter over to him, avoiding his eyes and looking down at my lap as he read it. I expected a tirade of anger to fall from his lips.

But he handed the letter back to me and said nothing. His face was white as Aphrodite's apron and his mouth was drawn tightly across his lips. Then, without a word, he stood up, bowed to me and quickly left the room.

I now fear what consequences might come from this new knowledge we both have. Should I have told Hugo? What will he do? As I returned to the Conte's office and put the letter back with his papers, I wondered for the first time why the Conte had been so careless with information of such importance. Normally he is very secretive about affairs that do not concern me...