XVIII

umyarm,'IsaidasblandlyasIcould. Shesmiledalittleawkwardlyandtookit. 'HowbeautifultheCountessisto-night!'Isaid.'Everyonewillfallinlovewithher.'IknewshehatedCaterina,asentimentwhichthegreatladyreturnedwithvigour.'IwouldnotdaresayittoanotherbutIknowyouareneverjealous:sheisindeedlikethemoonamongthestars.' 'Theideadoesnotseemtoonew,'shesaidcoldly. 'Itisallthemorecomprehensible.Iamthinkingofwritingasonnetonthetheme.' 'IimaginedithadbeendonebeforebuttheladiesofForliwilldoubtlessbegratefultoyou.' ShewasgettingcrossandIknewbyexperiencethatwhenshewascrossshealwayswantedtocry. 'Iamafraidyouareangrywithme,'Isaid. 'No,itisyouwhoareangrywithme,'sheansweredrathertearfully. 'I?Whyshouldyouthinkthat?' 'Youhavenotforgivenmefor—' IwonderedwhethertheconscientiousGiorgiohadhadanotherattackofmoralityandriddenoffintothecountry. 'Mydearlady,'Isaid,withalittlelaugh,'IassureyouthatIhaveforgivenyouentirely.Afterall,itwasnotsuchaveryseriousmatter.' 'No?'Shelookedatmewithalittlesurprise. Ishruggedmyshoulders. 'Youwerequiterightinwhatyoudid.Thosethingshavetofinishsometimeorother,anditreallydoesnotsomuchmatterwhen.' 'IwasafraidIhadhurtyou,'shesaidinalowvoice. Thescenecametomymindthedimly-litroom,thedelicateformlyingonthecouch,coldandindifferent,whileIwasgivenovertoanagonyofdespair.Irememberedtheglitterofthejewelledringagainstthewhitehand.Iwouldhavenomercy. 'MydearGiulia—youwillallowmetocallyouGiulia?' Shenodded. 'MydearGiulia,Iwasalittleunhappyatfirst,Iacknowledge,butonegetsoverthosethingssoquickly—abottleofwine,andagoodsleep:theyarelikebleedingtoafever.' 'Youwereunhappy?' 'Naturallyoneisalwaysratherputoutwhenoneisdismissed.Onewouldprefertohavedonethebreakingoneself.' 'Itwasamatterofpride?' 'IamafraidImustconfesstoit.' 'Ididnotthinksoatthetime.' Ilaughed. 'Oh,thatismyexcitedwayofputtingthings.Ifrightenedyoubutitdidnotreallymeananything.' Shedidnotanswer.AfterawhileIsaid,— 'Youknow,whenoneisyoungoneshouldmakethemostofone'stime.Fidelityisastupidvirtue,unphilosophicalandextremelyunfashionable.' 'Whatdoyoumean?' 'Simplythisyoudidnotparticularlyloveme,andIdidnotparticularlyloveyou.' 'Oh!' 'Wehadapassingfancyforoneanother,andthatsatisfiedtherewasnothingmoretokeepustogether.Weshouldhavebeenveryfoolishnottobreakthechainifyouhadnotdoneso,Ishouldhave.Withyourwoman'sintuition,yousawthatandforestalledme!' Againshedidnotanswer. 'Ofcourse,ifyouhadbeeninlovewithme,orIwithyou,itwouldhavebeendifferent.Butasitwas—' 'IseemycousinViolanteinthecornertherewillyouleadmetoher?' Ididassheasked,andasshewasbowingm