Page:Victor Hugo's Works (Guernsey Edition) v14.djvu/91

Rh

Why, man,

Thy news is stale; the Duchess has been here

These five hours; she arrived, post-haste, ere sunrise.

She must have ridden in the dark. 'T was that

Prevented me from making earlier matins

Before my little saint here.

Do you know

What brought the Duchess back so suddenly?

Some jealous fancy pricked her, as I judge

From her accost when we encountered first;

And, as I gathered, she suspects contrivance

Betwixt me and the Countess Malatesta.

'T was a relief, for once, that I could twit her

With groundless fears. I told her Malatesta

Rode yesterday with his lady to Cesena,

And, for more proof, repeated what he said,

That on my wife's least summons, she'd return;

So she has summoned her, in hopes, no doubt,

To catch me in a lie. Her messenger

Rode to Cesena just at daybreak. Soon

We may look for him back, bringing, I hope,

Ginevra Malatesta.

This is rare.

So falls she off the scent, and leaves you here

To follow up your game with Fiordelisa.

Even so; I excused me from her presence

By work of State, for which to this pavilion