Part 30 (1/2)
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Zappa had hitherto contrived to prevent theboth of them to remain shut up in their respective parts of the castle The cause of this conduct it is scarcely necessary to explain His object was to keep Nina ignorant of the presence of her rival, and he also hoped to bend Ada's haughty spirit by the confinement to which she was subject It could not, however, be supposed that Nina should not hear ruh Paolo had been careful not to hurt his sister's feelings needlessly, by speaking of her Little Mila, the only personal attendant hom she could converse, had been warned not to mention the arrival of Ada and her attendant; and for soue; but as she suffered somewhat from that infirmity which is said, I suspect unjustly, to be peculiar to her sex, she at last began to think that she had kept it long enough
She did not, however, at once announce the information she had to co it out by driblets
”We shall have the whole castle built up as it used to be, one of these days, I suspect, signora,” she observed, as she was assisting Nina to dress ”It would be difficult, though, to arrange a more handso be more beautiful than this But why should you say so?” asked Nina, whose suspicions had already been aroused by her attendant's previous re it with a roonificent,” returned Mila
”You have seen! Why, you have never been off this island,” exclaiirl; ”but the rooreat distance from this tower”
”I was not aware that any other part of the castle was inhabited, except the tower and the house close to it,” observed Nina
”There you are nora The other old tower to the east of this, has had a room lately fitted up, very irl, who tells ether--that she was born in an island like this, only larger I like her very h she is not at all pretty; but she has alady, who also lives in the toho is a coh she does not speak much, as she does not understand a word of Romaic; but I loved her the nora, were you to see her”
”A lady! young, and fair, and beautiful,” repeated the Italian girl, a feeling gushi+ng into her boso allied to love ”Who is she? how long has she been here? what is she like?”
”As to who she is, signora, all I know is, that they say she belongs to a people who have big shi+ps, and have never been slaves to the Turks; then she has been here ever since our chief canor Paolo, your brother, who knows more about her than I do; and I suspect, loves her also not a little And with regard to what she is like--she is not so tall as you are, signora; but her skin is as clear as yours, and fair as the foam blown across the ocean in a winter's storm, with some of the hue stolen from the rose on her cheeks; and her eyes--so soft they are, and of the sahtest spot in the cloudless sky above our heads”
How long little Mila, having now ventured once to let her tongue run loose on the forbidden subject, would have continued recapitulating the praises of the stranger lady--little dreas of her older friend and mistress--it is impossible to say, had not Nina interrupted her
”I er lady!” she exclaiht her that it would have been wiser to have obeyed orders, and not o at once, and you shall run up into her roonora, that will never do,” answered the Greek girl ”You forget that the directions of our chief forbid you to quit your tower; and ould he say, were he to hear that you had visited that of the stranger lady He is certain to come back, and find you there”
Nina had, however, so determined to satisfy her jealous suspicions, that she overruled all Mila's scruples
”If I find them fatally true, a speedy death will be my only resource, or, ah! that of hts ”I could not let her live in the triumphant enjoyment of what I had lost--his love I could not bear to think that other ears but mine own hear the tender accents of his voice, which speaks so eloquently toaside for oneand beautiful, perchance, but one who could not feel for hio and see her If she is--oh! God, what?” And her hand touched, unconsciously, the hilt of a sirdle
Ada Garden was sitting in her chamber when little Mila hurried into her presence, and intimated, as well as she could, that a lady desired to see her, flying out at the same speed hich she entered
As it happened, Ada did not, in the least, understand what sheit was a matter of no importance, continued the perusal of a work she held in her hand She was startled by hearing a deep sigh, and looking up, she saw a graceful fe at the other end of the room, with her eyes fixed intently on her For the first lanced across her mind, that her senses id was the gaze; but a few seconds served to assure her that a hu was in her presence
Her own look, as she lifted up her eyes, betokened surprise, though not alarm, and there was that sweet and tranquil expression, that purity, the consciousness of innocence, in her countenance, which the beautiful Italian--for she was the intruder--interpreted aright Nina did not utter a word for some moments; but with the passionate iuided her, she advanced towards her supposed rival, and knelt down before her, bending her head to the ground She soon looked up, and gazed in her countenance with an expression of earnest inquiry, as if she would read her thoughts
”Lady,” she at length exclaied you--I feel--I know-- you cannot be the base, the cruel being I have believed you You would not seek to estrange the affections of a husband froiri Caramitzo, the chief of this island--you do not wish to win his love”
Astonish this extraordinary address, and she hesitated, while she considered in what terht quickly tranquillise the agitated feelings of her visitor, and, at the sa theer-blade flashed in her hand In another moment, it would have been stained with blood, had not Ada exclainora I would not rob you of your husband's love, for all the world can give I anor Paolo Montifalcone; and if so, I already know your history, and, far fro to injure you, would do all in my power to preserve you from harht do unknowingly and unwillingly,” exclailance of distrust; while she clutched the weapon in her right hand, which hung down by her side, the other being stretched out before her, as if to prevent her supposed rival froe come to her aid She neither trembled nor turned pale, nor did she show any atteeance; but she lifted her mild blue eyes, full of co orbs of the Italian, and, in a sweet, calm voice, she said--
”There is a Power above, which, if we seek, will aruilt, unknowing though itaffections which should be your alone”
A fresh i away her weapon, she rushed forward, and throwing herself on her knees, clasped Ada's hand and covered it with kisses