Page:Hoffmann's Strange Stories - Hoffman - 1855.djvu/91

 "Our poor friend Spicker is quite lost," said Frederick, returning to his own house.

That day there was a brilliant festival in the environs of Florence, which gathered together all the fashionables. Giulietta wanted Erasmus to accompany her. They met there a very ugly little Italian, who paid assiduous court to Giulietta. Erasmus, wounded by the coquetry which prevented his beautiful companion from sending off this abortion, had a fit of jealousy, and rudely left the company. Giulietta, not seeing him return, went after him, and having found him in a solitary walk in the garden, reproached him softly, and throwing her snowy arms around his neck, left on his lips a kiss of fire. Erasmus lost his senses; he was about forgetting the whole universe, when Giulietta suddenly called him to himself, by a look whose coldness and severity drove him to despair. Both came back to the saloon.

Meanwhile the young Italian had seen the manœuvre of Giulietta. Jealousy pricked him in his turn, he revenged himself by a sudden fire of sarcasms against the Germans. Erasmus went straight up to him—"I beg you, sir," said he to him, "to put a stop to your impertinences against my countrymen, or I will throw you out of the window.

At this threat, the Italian furiously drew a dagger; but Spicker was too quick for him, for he seized him and threw him down so rudely that the unfortunate man expired with his skull fractured. They threw themselves upon Erasmus, who, seized with horror at the sight of the murder he had just committed, grew pale, staggered and fainted. When he came to his senses, he found himself lying upon a little couch, in a boudoir lighted by a voluptuous subdued light. Giulietta supported him in her arms. "Oh, wicked German!" said she with an accent of soft reproach; "what uneasiness you have caused me! There is no longer any safety for you in Florence, nor in all Italy; you must go and leave me forever."

"No," answered Spicker, "sooner will I die here; for is it not to die to go and live far away from you?"