Chapter 8 Chapter Eight For Twenty Million

No one can predict the outcome of this sudden incident.As soon as Henry heard the news, he naturally thought that this ending would be in his favor.In any case, Haddina's wedding must be postponed.In spite of the young girl's deep grief, the young officer went at once to the house in Strad Riller Street, but he saw neither Haddina nor Kechalis. , can only wait. "If Hadzina was bowing to her father's wishes by marrying this Captain Scotta," he thought to himself, "the engagement doesn't count now that her father is gone!" This reasoning is correct.From this we can infer that Henry's chances have increased, while Scotta's have naturally decreased.

This was quite natural, and the matter was discussed between Captain Scotta and his mate early next morning, when Scopello initiated the conversation. It was the Calista's mate who brought the news of Elizondo's death when he got back on board at ten o'clock in the morning--now the whole town knew. Some people thought that Nikolai Scotta would be furious when he heard the news, but he was indifferent.The captain is good at keeping his emotions in check, and he doesn't lightly blame what has happened. "Ah, how dead is Elizon?" He simply asked. "Yes...he's dead!"

"Could it be suicide?" said Nikolai Scotta in a low voice, as if talking to himself. "No," Scrapello replied, and he heard the captain say, "No! The doctors think it's a cerebral hemorrhage..." "Suddenly?..." "Almost. He lost consciousness immediately and died without saying a word!" "That's all right, Scopello!" "Of course, Captain, anyway, the Arcadia deal has already been..." "Exactly..." said Nicola Scotta. "Our money orders are prepaid. Now you can pay with one hand and receive the goods with the other."

"Hey, hell, now's the time!" cried the mate. "If this deal goes through, what about the other one?" "Another deal? . . . " said Nikolai Skota calmly. "All right! This one too, let it be done when it should be done! I don't see any change in the situation, Haddina Will continue to obey her dead father as he did in life, for the same reason." "So, Captain," continued Scopello, "you don't want to give up the matter?" "Give up?" Nicola Scota shouted in a voice expressing firm will and wanting to remove all obstacles: "Tell me, Scopello, is there anyone in this world who can get 20 million at a stretch? You gave up?"

"Twenty million!" Scopello nodded while smiling. "Yes, I estimate that this old Elizon has a fortune of at least 20 million!" "It's a lot of clear securities," continued Nikolai Scota, "and it's cashable right away." "Become the rightful owner as soon as possible, Captain, because it is now owned by the beautiful Hadzina Elizondo..." "Yes, it should belong to me, it's mine! Scopello, don't worry! I can destroy her father's reputation with one word, even if he dies! His daughter cares about his reputation more than his property! But I won't Say, there is nothing to say! The pressure I put on her father in the past will be used against her in the future! She will obediently take a dowry of 20 million to be Nikolai Scota's wife. Skepe Lo, if you don't believe me, you don't know the captain of the Calista!"

Nicola Scotta was so confident that the first mate, who had no confidence at all, began to believe that what happened the night before would not affect the captain's realization of his plan, but was only a matter of delay. The only thing Nikola Scota had to think about was how long to delay.The next day he went to the rich man Elizondo's funeral. The funeral was very simple and not many people were invited.He met Henri d'Albalay on that occasion, but they just looked at each other and nothing happened. For five days after Elizondo's death, the captain of the Calista could not see the young girl, and the door of the counting house was shut tightly.It was as if the bank died with his master.

Henry, on the other hand, was no luckier than the captain, for he never saw her, nor did he hear from her.One could not help but wonder whether the girl had left Corfu under the protection of Kechalis, because Kechalis could not be found anywhere. However, the captain of the Calista had no intention of abandoning his plan at all.I always tell myself that it's just a little delay in time.Thanks to Scopello and his own bad idea, the rumor that Nikolai Skota was going to marry Hadzyna was spread everywhere and everyone believed it.It's just waiting for the mourning period to pass and for the banks to get back to normal.

As for the property left by the rich man, everyone knows that the number is huge, but it is exaggerated when talking about it in the streets and lanes, and it is exaggerated fifteen times.Yes, everyone is sure that Elizondo's inheritance is not less than 100 million!Young Hadzier, what a happy heiress, what a man, Nicolas Scotta, who will marry her!In the streets and alleys of Corfu, remote villages, people are talking about this topic.People are flocking to Strada Riel Street to see this famous old house with so much money in it, since there are so few expenses, there should be a lot left!

It was a huge fortune indeed, almost twenty millions, and, as Nicola Scota and Scopello said, were very cashable securities, not real estate. This, too, had been known to Hadzina, and Kechalis had learned it with her, after the banker's death.But they haven't figured out the source of this huge number.Since Kechalis is more familiar with the affairs of banks and accountants, he has handled many bills and ledgers, so it is not too difficult to check.Apparently, Elizondo wanted to destroy some of the documents, but before he could, death took him away.All the documents and ledgers are there, and everything will come to light.

Hadzina and Kechalis are now too clear about the source of the 20 million!What a fortune heaped upon so many dirty deals, so much misery and misfortune!No more checking!That's why Nicola Scota can lead Elizondo by the nose!They are complicit!He only needs to say one word to destroy him!And as long as he doesn't reveal it, he can stay hidden!So, he wants to take his daughter away from his father as the price of keeping silent! "Poor man! . . . poor man! . . . " Kechalis kept crying. "Stop it!" said Haddina. He stopped talking.For he felt that these words would not only reach Nikolai Scota's ears, but spread farther.

This situation soon changed.And, for everyone's benefit, it should be settled by Hadzina. On the sixth day after Elizondo's death, at seven o'clock in the evening, Nikolai Scota was invited to the bank immediately, and Kechalis was waiting for him on the steps of the pier. The tone of Kechalis' message was far from friendly.But when he spoke to the captain, his voice was soft and attractive.It's just that Nicola Scotta is not something that can be coaxed with sweet words.He followed Kechalis all the way to the cashier's office. People around saw Nicolas Scotta walking into the house that had been closed all the time, and they all thought he was going to be lucky. Nikolai Skota met Hadzyna in her father's office.She sat at a desk piled high with papers, files, and ledgers.The captain understood that the girl already knew about the business dealings here, which was correct.But did she know about her father's ties to the pirates of the Archipelago, Nikolai Scotta wondered. Hadzina got up as soon as the captain came in—so as not to ask him to sit down—she beckoned Kechalis out.Dressed in mourning clothes, she looked solemn, her eyes were tired from lack of sleep, and she looked extremely weak, but her spirit was not listless.This conversation means a lot to everyone, so take the time to stay calm. "I am here, Hadezina Elizondo, at your command. Why do you ask me first?" "There are two reasons, Nicolas Scotta," said the girl straightforwardly. "First of all, I want to tell you that the marriage contract made by my father should be annulled, and there will be no relationship between us." "In my opinion," said Nikolai Scotta dryly, "my answer is: Have you considered the consequences of saying this, Hadzina Elizondo?" "Yes, I thought about it. You must understand that my decision will not change, because I don't want to know about the nature of the transaction between the Elizondo Bank and you and your group, Nikolai. Scotta!" This unmistakable answer obviously irritated the Calista's captain.He had thought that Hadzina would tell him in some gentle way to call off the engagement, and he had planned how to expose her father's relationship with him and force her to commit the crime.But she already knew everything. This was originally a trump card in his hand, but now it doesn't work for her.He didn't believe that he had been disarmed, so he said in a somewhat mocking tone: "You already know what your father did, do you know the responsibility you will take?" "I will, Nicola Scota, I will do it for the rest of my life, it is my duty!" "May I think," said Nicolas Scotta, "that Captain Henry Darballe . . . " "Don't bring Henry's name into this!" Haddina became excited. Then she calmed down, and in order to avoid the other party's entanglement, she said again: "You know, Nicola Scotta, that Captain Henry d'Albarai will never marry the banker Elizondo's daughter!" "He's tough!" "why?" "Because he wouldn't marry an heiress whose father was a good pirate! No! A man of integrity would never accept money obtained in mean ways." "I think we're talking about things that have nothing to do with resolving our problems," said Nicola Scotta. "The problem between us has been resolved!" "Please allow me to remind you that you should marry Captain Scotta, not Captain Darbale! The death of your father does not allow you to change your past decisions at will." "I obeyed my father," said Hadzina. "I obeyed him without knowing his real motives for my sacrifice! Now I understand, and I can help him restore his reputation!" "Now that you know . . . " said Nicola Scotta. "I know," Hadjina interrupted him, "I know you are his accomplice, you dragged him into a dirty deal, you made the bank millions, and the bank has a good reputation I know you threatened him with exposing his dishonorable behavior if he didn't marry his daughter to you! But, Nicola Scota, you never thought, except to obey my father to marry you , can I do something else?" "Come on, Hadzina Elizondo, I don't want to talk to you! If you thought about your father's honor while he was alive, you have to die for him when he is dead. If you insist on not Willing to fulfill the marriage contract between you and me..." "Bring it all out, Nikolai Scotta!" cried the girl with such contempt and disgust that the shameless fellow blushed. "Yes...everything!" he said. "You wouldn't do that, Nicola Scotta!" "Why not?" "Because it means you are exposing yourself!" "Expose me, Hadezina Elizondo! Come to think of it, which of these deals is done in my name? You think it's me, Nikolai Scotta, walking around the archipelago Go, trafficking captives? No! I have no part in it at all, if you force me, I will tell!" The girl stared hard at the captain's face. Her eyes were full of courage because of justice, and she confronted the captain's fearsome eyes without flinching. "Nicolas Scotta, I can refute you with one sentence. You want to marry me out of sympathy and out of love! You just want my father's property! Yes, I can say to you: Just the tens of millions you want!...Look, there it is...Take it!...Take it away!...Don't let me see you ever!...But I won't do it, Nico La Scotta!...These tens of millions, I have inherited...You won't get it!...I'm going to keep it!...I'm going to use it for the right thing!...No! You have to No! . . . Now get out! . . . Get out of this house! . . . Get out!" Hadzina held out one arm and held her head high, as if cursing the captain, just as Andronika had stood at the gate of her old house cursing her son a few weeks before.But if Nikolai Scotta flinched from his mother's gesture, this time he went up to the girl resolutely: "Hadzina Elizondo," he said in a low voice, "I'm going to order these tens of millions! . . . No matter what method is used, it's mine . . . I'll have it!" "No! . . . I would rather destroy it, or throw it into the bay!" Hadzina replied. "I said, I'll have it! . . . I want it!" Nikolai Scotta clutched the girl's arm, he was so angry that he could not restrain himself, his eyes gleamed fiercely, and he seemed to want to kill her! Hadzina saw clearly that the situation was not good.die!He could kill her right now!She is not afraid of death, but the energetic girl still has her own plans, and she doesn't want to die yet. "Kachalise!" she cried. The door opened and Kechalis walked in. "Kachalis, get this man out!" Before Nikolai Scotta could turn around, he was caught by two iron arms.He felt like he was suffocating.He wanted to talk, to yell...but he was so tightly strangled that he couldn't break free and couldn't yell.He was strangled and thrown out the door. Kechalis had only one word to say to him: "I didn't kill you because she didn't tell me to kill you! When she tells me, I'll do it!" He closed the door. At this time, there were no pedestrians on the street.No one saw what had just happened, that Nicola Scota was kicked out of Elizondo Bank.But people saw him go in.This is enough.Henry knew that Nicola Scota had been invited in.But after he was rejected, he couldn't help thinking like everyone else that the captain of the Casta had already fallen in love with the girl and was talking about marriage. What a blow this was to him!Nikolai Scotta was entertained in the room from which he was mercilessly barred!He was so angry that he wanted to curse Haddina, as anyone would do in such a state.But he still controlled himself, and love overcame anger, although on the surface, the girl didn't seem to love him anymore: "No! No! . . . It's impossible! . . . She . . . and this man! . . . How could it be? . . . Despite repeated threats to Hadzina, after consideration, the captain decided to remain silent.He decided not to mention this secret that threatened the banker for life, so that he could play the card at any time. This is the consensus reached between him and Scopello.He unreservedly told the mate everything that had happened in the bank.The first officer suggested that he keep this secret and wait for the situation to change. It would not be too late to do so when the time was right.What makes them upset is that the heiress is not willing to give up the property to buy back the secret!Why?They don't understand at all. In the days that followed, until December 12th, Nikolai Scotta never left his ship, he tried everything to achieve his goal, and he hoped that his luck would turn around. Luck... This time, his calculation was wrong. Henri d'Albalais was now left alone, his determination to see the girl was not wavered, he was not discouraged. On the evening of the 12th, a letter was delivered to his hotel.He felt that the letter was written by Hadzyna.He opened the envelope and looked at the signature, and it was indeed her. The letter consisted of only a few lines and was written by the girl herself. The content of the letter is as follows: "Henry: "Father's death set me free, but you have to give me up! Banker Elizondo's daughter is not good enough for you! I will never marry Nicola Scota, a poor wretch! But I Nor can it belong to you, a man of such integrity! Forgive me, farewell! "Hadzina Elizondo" After reading the letter, Henry didn't have time to think about it, and immediately ran to the big house on Strada Reese Street... The gates were closed and empty, and there was no one there, as if Haddina had left the place with her faithful Kechalis, never to return.