Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/283

 greatest difficulty in overcoming her hesitation; every minute lost might forever separate them. Marianna understood this as well as he did himself. She wept in silence; a convulsive trembling agitated her limbs; a cloud passed over her eyes; the artist felt her falling; immediately profiting by the tumult and confusion which filled the place, he carried the young girl off in his arms, covering her with tears and kisses. A carriage which was waiting a short distance from Nicolo's theatre, received the lovers, and carried them off with lightning speed, on the road to Florence.

No words can express the exasperation of poor Capuzzi. He tried to hasten in pursuit of the odious ravisher of his niece. But the officer of the guard who had possession of his person, surrounded him with soldiers, and said to him coldly:

"Justice will inform herself concerning the carrying off and seduction of which you complain. As for you, I cannot, by my private authority, set you at liberty: you must immediately answer to the magistrate for your attempt at murder on the person of the young actor whom you were about so expeditiously to forward, had it not been for my interference. Let us walk, if you please, and do not force me to pull you by the ears."

All things here below, alas! are nothing but uncertainty and perpetual change; but nothing is more variable than man's heart. Such a one sees himself to-day the object of general sympathy and veneration, and to-morrow may fail into the abyss of adversity and contempt, without any one of his flatterers deigning to extend a hand to aid him.

As long as Capuzzi had only been ridiculous, there was not in the whole of Rome a single person, of whatever age or rank, who did not take a malicious pleasure in laughing at his avarice, and the ridiculousness of his eccentric life. But as