Saracinesca

disturbed. There was a prospect of this; for on inquiry she ascertained that her husband was not yet dressed, and his dressing took a very long

horoughly unscrupulous where his master's interests or his own were concerned. The old Duca believed in him sincerely and trusted him alone, f

them, letting her fur mantle drop to the floor, and putting her small

surprised on finding his name at the foot of the page. He wrote a strong clear handwriting, entirely without adornment of penmanship, close and regular and straight: there

hange my mind. I have had an interview with my father, who has put the matter very plainly before me. I hardly know how to tell you this, but I feel that I owe it to you to explain myself, however much you may despise me for what I am going to say. It is very simple, nevertheless. My father has informed me that by my conduct I have caused my name to be coupled in the mouth of the gossips with that of a person very dear to me, but whom I am unfortunately prevented from marrying. He has convinced me that I owe to this lady, who, I confess, takes no intere

any intention of being guided by you. Forgive me also this letter, which I am impelled to write from somewhat mean motives of vanity, in the

NI SARA

the power of thus bringing himself before her by means of a scrap of paper? Corona's hand

was going to marry her after all. To save the woman he loved so hopelessly from the mere suspicion of being loved by him, he was going to tie himself for life to the first who would marry him. That would never prevent the gossips from saying that he loved this other woman as much as ever. It could do her no great harm, since she took no interest whatever in him. Who

d at the clock-it was nearly mid-day. He might marry whom he pleased, and be welcome-wh

spised in her heart, and she had done it for an object she had thought good. She looked steadily at the clock, for

anni so loved; and with her curiosity there was a new feeling-an utterly hateful and hating passion-something so strong, that it suddenly dried her tears and sent the blood from her cheeks back to her heart. Her white hand was clenched, and her eyes were on fire. Ah, if she could only find that woman he loved! if she could only see her dead-

le from a friend in Paris, full of stories of the day, exclamations upon fashion and all kinds of emptine

ady forgotten what she had written, and was running on with a different idea. It seemed as though Corona were haunted by Giovanni at every turn; but she had not reached the end yet, for one letter still remained. She tore open the envelope, and found that the

she can neither eat herself nor let others eat. She will not accept Don Giovanni Saracines

y she might discover who it was who had undertaken to criticise her, to cast upon her so unjust an accusation. Moreover, she was very angry and altogether thrown out of her usually calm humour. Her first impulse was to go to her husband, and in the strength of her innocence to show him the letter. Then she laughed bitterly as she thought how the self

tant there was a strange light of pleasure in her face. Then she grew very thoughtful, and her whole mood changed. She could not conceive it possible that Giovanni so

d and indescribable pleasure. Then she remembered what she had felt before; how angry, how utterly beside herself, she had been at the thought of another woman being loved by him, and she suddenly unders

nt person-by some one who had no idea of what was passing, and who wrote at random, hoping to touch a sensitive chord, to do some harm, to inflict some pain, in petty vengeance for a fancied slight. But in her heart, though she crushed down the

no perhaps in the matter. It seemed very hard to do right, but she would try to see where the right lay. In the first place, she should burn the anonymous letter, and never condescend to think of it; and she should also burn Giovanni's, because it would be an injustice to him to keep it. She looked once more at the unsigned, ill-written page, and, with a little scornful laugh, threw it from where she sat into the fire with its envelope

nfess, takes no inter

nt she thrust the letter among the coals, and watched the fire curl it and burn it, from white to

ived from Paris, and the padding had attained a higher degree of scientific perfection than heretofore. Corona also looked more beautiful than even her husband ever remembered to have seen her; she wore a perfectly simple gown of black satin without the smallest relief of colour, and upon her neck the famous Astrardente necklace of pearls, three strings of even thickness, each jewel exquisitely white and just lighted in its sha

d-an occurrence so rare in Rome, that the theatre was absolutely full. The Astrardente box was upon the second t

intained his character as a man of no illusions, and swept the house with his small opera-glass. The instrument itself was like him, and would have been appropriate for a fine lady of the First Empire; it was of mother-of-pearl, made very s

end of the first act. "Really I should think you would find it w

music, but she was fond of the world and liked to be seen, and she could not hear at all what Del Ferice said in an undertone to Madame Mayer. Sufficient to her were the good things of the day; the rest was in no way her business. There was Valdarno in the club-box, with a knot of other men of his own stamp. There were the Rocca, mother and daughter and son-a boy of eighteen-and a couple of men in the back of the box. Everybody was there, as her husband had said; and as

er always seems to get the wrong man into her box. She would give all those diamonds to have G

es Del Ferice,"

cannot bite at all, and his bark is so soft that you would take

ones. He is very tiresome with his eternal p

an injury. Donna Tullia is wise in adopting him as her slave. She would not be so safe with Saracinesca,

d admirers?" aske

Old Astrardente's face twisted itself into the semblance of a smile, as he leaned towards his young wife, lowering his cracked vo

ust as he had done for five years. It was perhaps the greatest triumph she could have attained, though she never thought of it in that light; but though she could not respect her husband very much, sh

gel," he said. "How could I be otherwis

spoke there was a knock at the door. Her hea

nte, annoyed beyond measure at being interrupted when m

forced calm. Her husband opened the door, an

d Astrardente,

Giovanni, still standing. He was somewhat s

r, quickly regaining his composure. "Pray

d the Duchessa. He had come to talk, and he anticipated that

sterday," said Corona, turning he

ered, and a shade of an

your informan

ing. She said you amused them all-

one may unconsciously furnish matter for mirth. I do not recollect

poke ironically," sugge

rma

as good as another. Th

e was a burst of orchestral music. Giovanni leaned forward so that his face

Corona made an almost imperceptible inc

see her face, and for some seconds she made no sign; at last

seems to me," said Giov

e could still look at the stage, and at

ave not told me all. Why do you ask

you thought me wrong

her woman for whom the man who asked her

mportance to my opinion," she said ver

able to give an opinion,"

te side of the box, she was able to judge whether Giovanni would do wisely in making a marriage of convenience, for the sak

the subject of my lif

wer her at once. He had indeed not inte

misunderstood me,

had she not felt that it was upon Giovanni's business, and that the matter discussed in no way concerned herself. As for Saracinesca, he was in a dangerous position, and w

me to express myself mor

ing told you too little

to your marriage when I

ll not refer to

med moving before her uncertainly, as things look when one falls from a height. Almost unconsciously she

ll the world to have taken back her words. It was too late. Giovanni answered in a low thick voice that sounded as though he were choking, hi

reason. You are

she suddenly shivered, and her eyelids drooped as she leaned back in her chair. Her fingers

, and much interested in the proceedings of Madame Mayer in the box opposite, heard the

he said quickly, as he observ

ible effort. Then, as though she had not said enough, sh

rashness, as well as by the shock of having so miserably failed to keep the secret

dly, "I have just remembered

aid Astrardente, sourl

box. She did not look

angel," said the old man.

ome; on the contrary, the brilliant lights and the music served for a time to soothe her. If there had been a ball that night she would have gone to it; she would have done anything that would take her thoughts from herself. Her husband looked at her

his chair a little nearer to hers. "I am glad t

e. We can talk now," repe

it," remarked Astrardente. "An important engagement!-just a littl

. "I did not hear. Of course, a