Morena never
threatens, they say; he performs. A safe man! From a timorous Liberal
Government, his avowed enemies, he extorted the title of Commendatore;
not because he attached any value to such outward distinctions but
because, like a true Camorrista, he never lost an opportunity of
showing that he could do what he pleased with everybody, Government
included. It was an open secret that the next vacant portfolio of
Justice would be at his disposal. All this of course was years and
years ago.
To these arts of statecraft he added a quite unusual legal acumen and
forensic ability. For the last fifteen years he had been in receipt of
large annual retaining fees from the principal commercial firms of the
country; that of one shipping company alone amounted to fifty thousand
francs. They found it worth their while since, without doing a stroke
of work for them, he gave his tacit support to their most nefarious
undertakings. A useful man! As a lawyer in private cases his reputation
was tremendous.
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