Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 6.djvu/159

 LUCRECIA.

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��but again she turned quickly away for she found his eyes fixed upon her.

"What is he doing here?" replied she brusquely, after a moment's silence, during which twenty contradictory ideas flew through her brain.

"That is what they do not know; but he is respected by all the leading men. If you were a woman who would ever have a favor to ask, you would perhaps rather ask it of him than of any one else. They say he is all powerful."

Lucrecia answered only by a haughty glance, but she began to reason with herself. "He can not be a spy," she murmured in a low voice, and involun- tarily her eyes turned toward him with an interrogative expression. For the third time they dropped before his clear, frank gaze. She arose embar- rassed and almost angry, crossed the room and seated herself between two old dowagers as though seeking pro- tectors. It happened that the minis- ter knew the dowagers, and he soon came over to where they were sitting. Lucrecia was presented to him.

She left very late that night, and as she was about to get into her carriage she found herself face to face with Capellani, who opened her carriage door and bowed profoundly. How did it happen that the beautiful countess Palandra, so accustomed to the homage and respect of cavaliers, felt such a thrill of emotion? She was astonish- ed at herself, and a singular preoccupa- tion seized her. "This man has strange eyes " she said. " Why did he look at me so ? He was at Austerlitz ! How could he come to this little court after having been through twenty battles? What courage, or what in- sipidity ! Doubtless he has an object." Then she asked herself, "is this object an honorable one?" and her proud conscience replied "no !" "Hesought to be presented to me ; was it because he thought I desired it ? Did I look at him first? Why this marked atten- tion when I got into my carriage? Perhaps he merely wished to be gallant to a woman whom he had evidently

��admired? But I will let him know at our next meeting that he has paid his attention in the wrong quarter. What folly ! This Marcel Capellani, minis- ter to Napoleon's widow, and so sought for by politicians, to dream of being attentive to women ! But what if this man plays the role of an Austrian ally, in order to be near the son of his emperor ! What kindness ! What patience !"

Lucrecia had never felt such an overflow of imagination ; never had her usually well-balanced mind oscil- lated between so many different ex- tremes. For the first time since her childhood, when she had dreamed so passionately of glory and of heroism, she was deeply excited and interested. The slow torture which she had endur- ed was for a moment suspended ; the hours flew rapidly ; ideas rushed through her brain in swift succession.

Evening came, and she returned to the house of her friend. On entering the parlor her heart began to beat rapidly. Marcel stood near the door, and was the first to greet her. As before, she often found him intently gazing at her. This attention and the effort she had to make to keep herself from returning his look quickly raised her to a high pitch of excite- ment. She did not wish to leave the room, where a singular interest retained her, and she could not appear calm.

She was requested to sing. Ordi- narily she always refused, especially since her husband's imprisonment ; but this evening she hurried toward the piano, and sang with a feeling and passion which deeply affected her audience and left her confounded and bewildered. When the piece was done she wished to sing on ; some irresisti- ble power seemed to urge her, and while the audience, inspired by a true enthusiasm, filled the room with its bravos, she began again and sang with a sweetness and pathos that touched all hearts.

Marcel approached to thank her in his turn. She was sitting, and he standing, and in order to reply she

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