As We Forgive Them

In Short

This mystery novel centers on the sudden death of Burton Blair, a man who rose from poverty to immense wealth while guarding a closely held enigma. When he dies without naming his source of riches, he leaves behind a cryptic cipher and a daughter, Mabel, who is burdened by her father’s past. The narrative follows Gilbert Greenwood as he attempts to solve the puzzle, navigating blackmail, secret societies, and the shadow of the Vatican. It is a quintessential Edwardian thriller, defined by its atmosphere of suspicion and its sprawling, globe-trotting intrigue.

The Story

The story opens in a somber bedroom in Manchester, where Burton Blair breathes his last, taking his secret to the grave. His associates, Gilbert Greenwood and Reginald Seton, are left empty-handed, lamenting the fortune they were certain Blair would eventually share. Blair’s daughter, Mabel, is thrust into a strange world where she inherits her father’s estate, but only on the condition that she accepts an unknown Italian, Paolo Melandrini, as her secretary. This clause, along with a mysterious chamois sachet containing a set of playing cards, sets the plot in motion.

Greenwood, the narrator, travels to Florence to investigate this shadowy secretary. In the City of Flowers, he discovers that the secrets of the dead man are inextricably linked to the Catholic Church and a network of outlaws. He encounters a Capuchin monk, Fra Antonio, who appears to hold the key to the cipher hidden on the playing cards. As Greenwood digs deeper, he realizes that he is not the only one searching for the truth; rivals like the unscrupulous Dick Dawson are also stalking Mabel, hoping to extract their own share of the millions.

The tension escalates as the hidden history of the treasure is revealed. It emerges that in 1870, Cardinal Sannini had secretly removed vast treasures from the Vatican to save them from invading troops, hiding them in a remote hermitage. Blair had somehow discovered this cache and spent years living in fear of those who knew of his theft. The "secret" is a literal fortune of ancient jewels and relics, guarded by the monk Fra Antonio, who has spent his life in meditation near the hidden entrance.

Mabel’s life is further complicated by a secret marriage to a blackmailer who threatens to ruin her reputation unless she pays him. Greenwood intervenes, acting as her protector against her husband’s cruelty and the various figures—including an Italian monsignor—who are attempting to recover the Church's lost riches. In the end, the treasure is recovered, and the mystery of the cipher is resolved. Greenwood, now a wealthy man himself, finds that the final lesson is one of mercy. He visits the secret cell with the monk, who urges him to let go of his bitterness toward the "One-Eyed Englishman" who had caused so much suffering, emphasizing the title’s theme of forgiveness over vengeance.

How It Unfolds

The deathbed silence Gilbert Greenwood and Reginald Seton watch in frustration as Burton Blair expires, revealing nothing about the source of his massive fortune. They are left with only the knowledge that the man who once borrowed sovereigns became a millionaire through a singular, hidden discovery.

The inheritance trap Mabel Blair inherits the estate but is forced to accept an unknown Italian, Paolo Melandrini, as her secretary. Greenwood begins his search for this mysterious figure, suspecting he is an adventurer who will drain Mabel’s newfound wealth.

The Florentine search Greenwood arrives in Florence, a city of both beauty and lurking danger, to track down the secretary. He encounters various Italian characters and begins to piece together the connection between the dead man’s secret and the local religious orders.

The cipher of cards Greenwood and Mabel discover that Blair’s secret was recorded on a pack of playing cards marked with strange columns of letters. They struggle to decipher the code while constantly under surveillance by Blair’s former enemies.

The monk’s revelation Greenwood meets Fra Antonio, a monk who acts as the guardian of the Cardinal’s secret treasure. He learns the truth about the Vatican relics hidden in a cliff-side hermitage and how Blair gained access to them.

The final confrontation Greenwood protects Mabel from her husband’s blackmail attempts and the interference of the Church. He secures the fortune and, ultimately, adopts a philosophy of forgiveness as the final chapter of the mystery closes.

The People

Gilbert Greenwood is the narrator and the driving force of the investigation. Driven by curiosity and a protective instinct for Mabel, he evolves from a baffled bystander into a man of significant means and moral reflection.

Burton Blair is the enigmatic centerpiece of the story. A former sailor turned millionaire, his iron will and secret-keeping define the lives of everyone around him. His death is the catalyst for the unraveling of a decades-old crime.

Mabel Blair begins as a sheltered, grieving daughter and is forced into a defensive position against her husband and the opportunists seeking her inheritance. Her journey is one of endurance, as she learns to navigate the dangerous secrets of her father's past.

Fra Antonio is the moral anchor of the narrative. A Capuchin monk living in self-imposed exile near the treasure, he holds the knowledge that Blair once stole. He serves as a bridge between the material greed of the city and a higher, spiritual perspective.

Dick Dawson is the primary antagonist, a ruthless sailor who represents the violent, desperate pursuit of Blair’s secret. He serves as the foil to Greenwood’s more measured approach, ultimately failing because of his lack of restraint.

In Its Own Voice

"By Heaven, he has! We've been fools, Reggie--utter idiots!"

Gilbert Greenwood expresses his frustration immediately after Blair dies without revealing the location of his fortune.

"I've been home these three years now," he went on, "and I've had a pretty rough time of it, I can tell you."

Burton Blair reflects on his life at sea and his subsequent struggles before his sudden rise to wealth.

"Hatred and malice should not rankle in the heart of the honest man."

The monk Fra Antonio gives this advice to Greenwood, encouraging him to embrace forgiveness rather than vengeance.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book explores the corrupting influence of hidden, unearned wealth and the danger of keeping secrets that belong to the past. It balances the high-stakes thrills of a treasure hunt against the theological question of whether one can ever truly own what was stolen from a greater institution. The narrative argues that material fortune is ultimately a burden if it is tied to malice or deceit. The characters struggle to distinguish between justice and greed, ultimately finding that the only path to peace is through the difficult act of forgiving those who have trespassed against them.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the brisk, atmospheric storytelling of the late Victorian and early Edwardian era will find much to admire here. The book captures the specific allure of a time when the world felt both vast and interconnected, where a secret kept in Rome could manifest as a threat in a London fog. It feels like a precursor to the modern thriller, prioritizing pace and mystery over deep psychological interiority.

However, a modern reader should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes the text displays. The dialogue can be somewhat stilted, and the portrayal of international characters occasionally leans on the insular prejudices typical of the era’s "gentleman detective" genre. The plot is filled with complex, sometimes convenient, coincidences that move the story along rapidly. If you are looking for a dense, character-driven study, you may find the reliance on "ciphered cards" and "monks with secrets" a bit thin. But if you are looking for a classic "pulp" experience that moves from the grim rooms of Manchester to the sun-drenched, dangerous piazzas of Florence, the book provides a satisfying, old-fashioned escape. It is a brisk, earnest read that succeeds in its ambition to entertain through a well-wrought, labyrinthine mystery.