juana-第7章

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him。　That　ring！　all　of　herself　was　in　it；　but　she　gave　it　to　him。



〃Oh；　my　Juana！〃　said　Montefiore；　again　pressing　her　in　his　arms。　〃I

should　be　a　monster　indeed　if　I　deceived　you。　I　will　love　you

forever。〃



Juana　was　thoughtful。　Montefiore；　reflecting　that　in　this　first

interview　he　ought　to　venture　upon　nothing　that　might　frighten　a　young

girl　so　ignorantly　pure；　so　imprudent　by　virtue　rather　than　from

desire；　postponed　all　further　action　to　the　future；　relying　on　his

beauty；　of　which　he　knew　the　power；　and　on　this　innocent　ring…

marriage；　the　hymen　of　the　heart；　the　lightest；　yet　the　strongest　of

all　ceremonies。　For　the　rest　of　that　night；　and　throughout　the　next

day；　Juana's　imagination　was　the　accomplice　of　her　passion。



On　this　first　evening　Montefiore　forced　himself　to　be　as　respectful　as

he　was　tender。　With　that　intention；　in　the　interests　of　his　passion

and　the　desires　with　which　Juana　inspired　him；　he　was　caressing　and

unctuous　in　language；　he　launched　the　young　creature　into　plans　for　a

new　existence；　described　to　her　the　world　under　glowing　colors；　talked

to　her　of　household　details　always　attractive　to　the　mind　of　girls；

giving　her　a　sense　of　the　rights　and　realities　of　love。　Then；　having

agreed　upon　the　hour　for　their　future　nocturnal　interviews；　he　left

her　happy；　but　changed；　the　pure　and　pious　Juana　existed　no　longer；　in

the　last　glance　she　gave　him；　in　the　pretty　movement　by　which　she

brought　her　forehead　to　his　lips；　there　was　already　more　of　passion

than　a　girl　should　feel。　Solitude；　weariness　of　employments　contrary

to　her　nature　had　brought　this　about。　To　make　the　daughter　of　the

Maranas　truly　virtuous；　she　ought　to　have　been　habituated；　little　by

little；　to　the　world；　or　else　to　have　been　wholly　withdrawn　from　it。



〃The　day；　to…morrow；　will　seem　very　long　to　me；〃　she　said；　receiving

his　kisses　on　her　forehead。　〃But　stay　in　the　salon；　and　speak　loud；

that　I　may　hear　your　voice；　it　fills　my　soul。〃



Montefiore；　clever　enough　to　imagine　the　girl's　life；　was　all　the　more

satisfied　with　himself　for　restraining　his　desires　because　he　saw　that

it　would　lead　to　his　greater　contentment。　He　returned　to　his　room

without　accident。



Ten　days　went　by　without　any　event　occurring　to　trouble　the　peace　and

solitude　of　the　house。　Montefiore　employed　his　Italian　cajolery　on　old

Perez；　on　Dona　Lagounia；　on　the　apprentice；　even　on　the　cook；　and　they

all　liked　him；　but；　in　spite　of　the　confidence　he　now　inspired　in

them；　he　never　asked　to　see　Juana；　or　to　have　the　door　of　her

mysterious　hiding…place　opened　to　him。　The　young　girl；　hungry　to　see

her　lover；　implored　him　to　do　so；　but　he　always　refused　her　from　an

instinct　of　prudence。　Besides；　he　had　used　his　best　powers　and

fascinations　to　lull　the　suspicions　of　the　old　couple；　and　had　now

accustomed　them　to　see　him；　a　soldier；　stay　in　bed　till　midday　on

pretence　that　he　was　ill。　Thus　the　lovers　lived　only　in　the　night…

time；　when　the　rest　of　the　household　were　asleep。　If　Montefiore　had

not　been　one　of　those　libertines　whom　the　habit　of　gallantry　enables

to　retain　their　self…possession　under　all　circumstances；　he　might　have

been　lost　a　dozen　times　during　those　ten　days。　A　young　lover；　in　the

simplicity　of　a　first　love；　would　have　committed　the　enchanting

imprudences　which　are　so　difficult　to　resist。　But　he　did　resist　even

Juana　herself；　Juana　pouting；　Juana　making　her　long　hair　a　chain　which

she　wound　about　his　neck　when　caution　told　him　he　must　go。



The　most　suspicious　of　guardians　would　however　have　been　puzzled　to

detect　the　secret　of　their　nightly　meetings。　It　is　to　be　supposed

that；　sure　of　success；　the　Italian　marquis　gave　himself　the　ineffable

pleasures　of　a　slow　seduction；　step　by　step；　leading　gradually　to　the

fire　which　should　end　the　affair　in　a　conflagration。　On　the　eleventh

day；　at　the　dinner…table；　he　thought　it　wise　to　inform　old　Perez；

under　seal　of　secrecy；　that　the　reason　of　his　separation　from　his

family　was　an　ill…assorted　marriage。　This　false　revelation　was　an

infamous　thing　in　view　of　the　nocturnal　drama　which　was　being　played

under　that　roof。　Montefiore；　an　experienced　rake；　was　preparing　for

the　finale　of　that　drama　which　he　foresaw　and　enjoyed　as　an　artist　who

loves　his　art。　He　expected　to　leave　before　long；　and　without　regret；

the　house　and　his　love。　It　would　happen；　he　thought；　in　this　way：

Juana；　after　waiting　for　him　in　vain　for　several　nights；　would　risk

her　life；　perhaps；　in　asking　Perez　what　had　become　of　his　guest；　and

Perez　would　reply；　not　aware　of　the　importance　of　his　answer；



〃The　Marquis　de　Montefiore　is　reconciled　to　his　family；　who　consent　to

receive　his　wife；　he　has　gone　to　Italy　to　present　her　to　them。〃



And　Juana？The　marquis　never　asked　himself　what　would　become　of

Juana；　but　he　had　studied　her　character；　its　nobility；　candor；　and

strength；　and　he　knew　he　might　be　sure　of　her　silence。



He　obtained　a　mission　from　one　of　the　generals。　Three　days　later；　on

the　night　preceding　his　intended　departure；　Montefiore；　instead　of

returning　to　his　own　room　after　dinner；　contrived　to　enter　unseen　that

of　Juana；　to　make　that　farewell　night　the　longer。　Juana；　true　Spaniard

and　true　Italian；　was　enchanted　with　such　boldness；　it　argued　ardor！

For　herself　she　did　not　fear　discovery。　To　find　in　the　pure　love　of

marriage　the　excitements　of　intrigue；　to　hide　her　husband　behind　the

curtains　of　her　bed；　and　say　to　her　adopted　father　and　mother；　in　case

of　detection：　〃I　am　the　Marquise　de　Montefiore！〃was　to　an　ignorant

and　romantic　young　girl；　who　for　three　years　past　had　dreamed　of　love

without　dreaming　of　its　dangers；　delightful。　The　door　closed　on　this

last　evening　upon　her　folly；　her　happiness；　like　a　veil；　which　it　is

useless　here　to　raise。



It　was　nine　o'clock；　the　merchant　and　his　wife　were　reading　their

evening　prayers；　suddenly　the　noise　of　a　carriage　drawn　by　several

horses　resounded　in　the　street；　loud　and　hasty　raps　echoed　from　the

shop　where　the　servant　hurried　to　open　the　door；　and　into　that

venerable　salon　rushed　a　woman；　magnificently　dressed　in　spite　of　the

mud　upon　the　wheels　of　her　travelling…carriage；　which　had　just　crossed

Italy；　France；　and　Spain。　It　was；　of　course；　the　Marana；the　Marana

who；　in　spite　of　her　thirty…six　years；　was　still　in　all　the　glory　of

her　ravishing　beauty；　the　Marana　who；　being　at　that　time　the　mistress

of　a　king；　had　left　Naples；　the　fetes；　the　skies　of　Naples；　the　climax

of　her　life　of　luxury；　on　hearing　from　her　royal　lover　of　the　events

in　Spain　and　the　siege　of　Tarragona。



〃Tarragona！　I　must　get　to　Tarragona　before　the　town　is　taken！〃　she

cried。　〃Ten　days　to　reach　Tarragona！〃



Then　without　caring　for　crown　or　court；　she　arrived　in　Tarragona；

furnished　with　an　almost　imperial　safe…conduct；　furnished　too　with

gold　which　enabled　her　to　cross　France　with　the　velocity　of　a　rocket。



〃My　daughter！　my　daughter！〃　cried　the　Marana。



At　this　voice；　and　the　abrupt　invasion　of　their　solitude；　the　prayer…

book　fell　from　the　hands　of　the　old　couple。



〃She　is　there；〃　replied　the　merchant；　calmly；　after　a　pause　during

which　he　recovered　from　the　emotion　caused　by　the　abrupt　entrance；　and

the　look　and　voice　of　the　mother。　〃She　is　there；〃　he　repeated；

pointing　to　the　door　of　the　little　chamber。



〃Yes；　but　has　any　harm　come　to　her；　is　she　still〃



〃Perfectly　well；〃　said　Dona　Lagounia。



〃O　God！　send　me　to　hell　if　it　so　pleases　thee！〃　cried　the　Marana；

dropping；　exhausted　and　half　dead；　into　a　chair。



The　flush　in　her　cheeks；　due　to　anxiety；　paled　suddenly；　she　had

strength　to　endure　suffering；　but　none　to　bear　this　joy。　Joy　was　more

violent　in　her　soul　than　suffering；　for　it　contained　the　echoes　of　her

pain　and　the　agonies　of　its　own　emotion。



〃But；〃　she　said；　〃how　have　you　kept　her　safe？　Tarragona　is　taken。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Perez；　〃but　since　you　see　me　living　why　do　you　ask　that

question？　Should　I　not　have　died　before　har