Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/282

 pope's guard arrested him, and, proceeding into an examination of the affair, said to him roughly:

"You will never in your life forget the unfortunate part you have played to-night in Nicolo Musso's theatre."

The surprise of the old man was extreme when the two actors, whom he had taken for Antonio and Marianna, taking, off their masks, exhibited faces entirely unknown to him.—The sword fell from his hand, a cold perspiration moistened his wrinkled checks, and he carried his hands to his forehead, as if to pluck from his brain the last impression of a frightful nightmare. A painful instinct made him tremble in every limb, when, on recovering from this hallucination, he sought for his niece at his side and found her no longer there. His despair at this would have awakened pity in the most insensible heart.

Whilst this comedy, sadly burlesque, ended the performances by a scene which came near being bloody, another drama was approaching its denouement in a corner of the room.

The veritable Antonio, profiting by the confusion which he had so successfully caused between Capuzzi and the actors, very adroitly made his way behind the spectators to Marianna, and told her in a few words, to tranquillize her, the trick which had been played, by the assistance of Salvator, to triumph over the obstinacy of her jealous guardian. "Time pressed, and the entreaties of Antonio threw the poor girl into a cruel perplexity. The thought of flying with her beloved, without being united to him by the sacred ties of marriage, frightened her. And then, although she had so little reason to be pleased with the proceedings of Capuzzi, she nevertheless respected in him the man to whom her dying father had confided her. It seemed to her that she could not, without odious ingratitude, which would wither her reputation forever, thus abandon the old man, who had, after all, no other fault to reproach himself with towards her than a ridiculous love, and a jealousy which she had sufficiently trifled with. Antonio had the