LUCRECIA.
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��words to express her hatred and con- tempt for Marcel, she was overcome by the fury of her passion as by a terrible storm. With bare feet and trembling lips, she walked up and down her chamber with rapid steps, nnable to find repose, or to calm her agitation by fatigue. She was beauti- ful and vet frightful, like Eumenides of old ; but right in the midst of an imprecation, a gleam of happmess would come into her eyes and a sweet smile to her lips. One would have said she had lost her reason.
The morning air calmed her a little, and her features again took their severe expression, when she looked over the situation. She immediately aroused her servants and gave orders to pre- pare for departure ; wrote a parting letter to the marquise, and a few hours later the heavv doors of her palace at Pistoja closed behind her.
Monsieur Rospigliori called upon her in the evening. He noticed that she spoke of her affairs with much more detail than usual ; of the life at Florence and a thousand unimportant things, and he was astonished at this vivacity ; at the pains which she evi- dently took to forget* herself. She was detracted and preoccupied. The bishop had never seen her thus, and he tried to probe this mind whose strange p-nvers and grandeur he well knew ; but Lucrecia. after some vague words upon the mistakes of the human heart, and curious follies of the imag- ination, shut herself up in an impene- trable silence.
Since she had reached home, and was far from the danger, she tried to forget even the temptation. Her pride was thoroughly aroused, and she fear- ed to avow her fall. During the first few days Lucrecia expected the arrival of Marcel at Pistoja, and gave strict orders not to admit him to the house ; but he did not come. At first she felt a great, relief, but as the days pass- ed a strange anger crept over her.
"So !" she cried, "this man did not love me ! It was but a passing fancy ; the caprice of an evening. Because I
��forgot myself, he has punished uie bj an insulting kiss, and that caused the passion which filled my entire being, and does still. Oh ! shame ! shame 1 eternal shame !"
Meanwhile, her excitement did not go away. It filled her heart, it charm- ed and fascinated her. With all her will power, and all her strength of character, she could not resist it. She passed from one extreme to the other, from strength to weakness. The Mar- quise Malespini returned to Pistoja. At the announcement of her arrival, Lucrecia could not control her emo- tion. "She will come to see me I Will she speak of him?" This ques- tion haunted her. But she resolved not to speak his name, and to use every effort to avoid saying anything which would lead the marquise to speak of him.
This struggle lasted five days, dur- ing which she suffered agony ; but at last the marquise uttered the terrible name. Lucrecia devoured every word, and learned that Marcel had left Florence two days after her own de- parture. Strange enough, this news. instead of calming her, only added fuel to the fl.ime. and her passion be- came stronger than before. It was because she no longer had any choice, and could not succumb to the tempta- tion if she wished. Before, she had said " If I wish, I can be at Florence in a few hours, and see him again, but I will not give up to this folly. I will be as faithful as a Roman matron. I will wait for Palandra if I die at my post!" Now that she knew he had gone, and that she loved but a memory. she was filled with passionate regret "This opportunity which was presented me I did not seize," she thought, "and now I have lost happiness forever 1" As soon as she regained control of herself she spurned with horror ali thoughts of regret ; but they returned ceaselessly, and each time more bit- terly. In fact she could no longer remain at Pistoja, for even the name of Captllani, which frequently came
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