Vendetta

Summary

Beneath Vesuvian shadows, a cholera-scented Naples becomes the amphitheatre for Fabio Romani’s metamorphosis from uxorious landowner to sepulchral avenger: prematurely entombed in the ancestral hypogeum, he claws back from apparent death, only to glimpse, through a fissure of torchlight, his lifelong comrade Guido Ferrari entwined with Nina, the wife whose fidelity had been the very axis of his earthly paradise. Resurrected by a quirk of pestilence and buried with a corsair’s ransom, Fabio’s melanocytes capitulate in a single hour, bleaching his visage to a death-mask while the pirate’s diadems glitter like frozen lightning. Re-emerging as the enigmatic Count Oliva—green spectacles veiling the inferno of recognition—he infiltrates the salons he once called home, weaponising opulence to seduce Nina’s avarice and to orchestrate a banquet where betrothal and betrayal are served on the same silver platter. The duel that follows leaves Guido expiring in moonlit gravel, the green lenses lifted at last to reveal the countenance of the friend he mourned. Yet retribution demands a nuptials: beneath chandeliers dripping wax like slow tears, Fabio lures Nina into the bowels of the Romani vault, unveils his true face, and watches her sanity fracture into kaleidoscopic fragments. As the earth convulses—an antique vault imploding under its own guilty tonnage—a megalith crushes the hysterical bride, and Fabio, white-haired Lear sans kingdom, flees the catacombs, convinced that the gods themselves have signed the final invoice on his vendetta.

Synopsis

Fabio Romani is the husband of beautiful Nina, an Italian girl. They have a charming daughter, Stella by name, and their life in Naples on Romani's great estates is one of love and happiness. Both husband and wife are fond of Guido Ferrari, who is a constant visitor at their home, and whose friendship for Fabio has been lifelong. A great cholera plague ravages the populace of Naples and Fabio one day decides to go to town in spite of the danger, on an errand of importance. On his return he is seized with the cholera, and drops to the street. He is picked up by the hooded doctors, pronounced dead, and, as a precaution against infection, his body is immediately placed on a cheap wooden casket and buried in the long disused Romani family vault. After some hours of apparent death his body stirs. He breathes, feels, moves and his casket slips from the niche and falls to the floor of the vault, taking with it a coffin that had lain undisturbed for many centuries on a lower tier. Romani struggles to his feet and the truth dawns on him. He immediately plunges into the casket now broken open and finds tremendous riches in gold, silver and diamonds with a note stating that they had been placed there by a pirate many generations ago. Almost overcome by his adventure, and suffering an agony of mental torture, Fabio's hair turns white in a single hour. He finally breaks free of the tomb and rushes through the garden to his mansion. From behind an ornamental column he sees his old friend Guido embracing his wife and determines upon a horrible revenge. He hurries to the nearest town, buys a pair of green spectacles and a suit of clothes. Armed with almost inexhaustible riches of the treasure chest, he assumes the name of Count Oliva and after a lapse of time, returns to the scene of his misfortunes. He succeeds in obtaining an introduction to Guido and in course of time the two become fast friends. He professes himself to be an old friend of the dead Count Romani's father. In course of time he meets his faithless wife and soon becomes an almost daily visitor at his own home. At this time his child Stella is taken sick and dies. Before the little girl passes away, Fabio makes himself known to her. The wealth of Fabio dazzles Nina and, being faithless, selfish and mercenary, he has but little difficulty in laying the foundation of his vengeance. Guido leaves town for a period and during the interval, Fabio receives the consent of Nina to become his wife and to jilt Guido. Fabio then announces a grand dinner in honor of Guido's return and, at the psychological moment, announces to the assembled guests the engagement of himself and Nina. Guido, stung to the quick, strikes Fabio and a duel follows, in which Guido is mortally wounded. Before he expires, Fabio removes his green glasses and reveals his identity to the dying Guido. The night of the wedding arrives with its hundreds of guests. On that night just before the supper, Fabio takes Nina by the hand and leads her to the vault, telling her that he will show her the source of his fabulous wealth and the ever mercenary Nina follows to the door of the vault where she hesitates. Fabio seizes her and throws her through the open door and then follows himself. Safely in the vault, he discloses his identity and the shock drives Nina insane. The sight of the once beautiful woman now a crazed being with distorted face, playing among the jewels in the treasure chest, almost causes Fabio's cold heart to relent. Suddenly the earth moves beneath them. There is a rush and roar of crashing pillars, a mighty stone hurtles through the roof of the tomb, striking Nina and killing her instantly. Fabio, believing it the vengeance of the Gods, rushes from the mined vault in panic. Thus is the Vendetta accomplished.