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" 'No, there were no other suspicious trunks in the attic,' I interjected 'But there are clothes, heaps of old clothes, clothes museums would pay for, I think But only Rebecca's trunk ¡¯

" 'Slon and let raceful exasperation 'Quinn, you're overexcited and it's a , 'but let me talk ¡¯

"And talk she did

" 'Nohile all of that was going on,' she said, 'Manfred was up to his fa over the land, and disappearing into the swamp for weeks at a time

" 'Then came Rebecca Now Rebecca was not only more beautiful than the other women, she was also very refined and passed herself off for a lady with a gracious manner, which won everyone over to her side

" 'But one night when Manfred was off in the swa Manfred for his absence, and in the kitchen she got drunk on brandy with Ora Lee -- that was Jasrandmother -- and she told Ora Lee her story, of how she, Rebecca, had been born in the Irish Channel in New Orleans and was as "coutter," she declared, one of thirteen children, and how she had gotten raped in a Garden Districtas a hborhood knew about it, and when her fao into the convent on account of it she went don to Storyville, instead, and they took her into a house of prostitution as she had hoped Now, Rebecca was pregnant froot rid of it, this part was unclear

" 'To Ora Lee, she said flat out that being in an elegant and fine house in Storyville, with the piano always playing and the gentle at hoton by the river where her Irish father and her Gerrandmother used to beat her and her brothers and sisters with a strap

" 'But Rebecca did not want to end her upward climb in Storyville, so she started to put on the airs of a lady and use what she knew of manners to make herself , which had been beaten into her at ho abilities to make herself fine clothes

" 'Wait aabout the e? That's is upstairs in that trunk Yes, she knew embroidery, Rebecca -- they're confused in Patsy's dream, but you know about the oil lamps and what I almost did ¡¯

" 'I do know, of course I know,' said Aunt Queen 'Why do you think I caainst this cozy lovehost So listen to what the story was

" 'The other prostitutes in the house in Storyville laughed at Rebecca, and they called her the Countess, but she knew that sooner or later a man would come ould see her attributes and take her out of that place She sat right in the rooated for the reat lady, and gave each gentleman her lovely smile

" 'Well, Manfred Blackas the man of her dreams, and the tale came down in Jasmine's family that he had actually and truly loved Rebecca inia Lee Indeed it was Rebecca, petite Rebecca with her brilliant srief

" 'He was obsessed with giving her jewelry, and she loved it, and she was gracious and sweet to hirowing up

" 'Of course, in her first weeks here she was all honey and spice to little William and Camille, but they didn't fall for it, or so the story says, just waiting for her to disappear like all the rest

" 'Then Manfred and Rebecca went to Europe for a year, the two of the time in Naples, because Rebecca loved it so, and they even had a villa for a while on the famous Amalfi coast If you saw that coast, and you will someday, Quinn, you'll understand that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth