Volume I Part 9 (1/2)
I thought Juliette very singular, for she seldom spoke to lass, or she contracted her eye-lids, as if she wished to denyher eyes, which were beyond all dispute very beautiful They were blue, wondrously large and full, and tinted with that unfathoives to youth, and which generally disappears, after having worked miracles, when the owner reaches the shady side of forty Frederick the Great preserved it until his death
Juliette was inforiven of her to M de Malipiero's friends by the indiscreet pensioner, Xavier Cortantini
One evening I called upon her with M Manzoni, and she told hie of beauty had found flaws in hers, but she took good care not to specify them It was not difficult toat me, and I prepared , but which, however, she kept in abeyance fully for an hour At last, our conversation falling upon a concert given a few days before by Ihter, Therese, had taken a brilliant part, Juliette turned round to me and inquired what M de Malipiero did for Therese I said that he was educating her ”He can well do it,” she answered, ”for he is a man of talent; but I should like to knohat he can do with you?”
”Whatever he can”
”I am told that he thinks you rather stupid”
As a h on her side, and I, confused, unco cut a very sorry figure, and deterain to darken her door The next day at dinner the account of my adventure caused hout the su Angela at the house of her teacher of embroidery, but her extreme reserve excited me, and my love had almost become a torment to myself With my ardent nature, I required a mistress like Bettina, who kne to satisfy s of purity, and I entertained the deepest veneration for Angela She was in my eyes the very palladium of Cecrops Still very innocent, I felt soh to be jealous of even their husbands
Angela would not grant htest favour, yet she was no flirt; but the fire beginning in me parched and withered me The pathetic entreaties which I poured out ofsisters, her companions and friends: had I not concentrated every look of ht have discovered that her friends excelled her in beauty and in feeling, butof my love she answered that she was quite ready to become my wife, and that such was to be the limit of my wishes; when she condescended to add that she suffered as ht she had bestowed upon reatest of favours
Such was the state of my mind, when, in the first days of autumn, I received a letter from the Countess de Mont-Real with an invitation to spend souests, and ahter, who had reat reputation for wit and beauty, although she had but one eye; but it was so beautiful that it made up for the loss of the other I accepted the invitation, and Pasean offering h for ours of the cruel Angela
I was given a pretty rooardens of Pasean, and I enjoyed its cohbours were
Theafter hted with the sight of the charirl, but as well for person of seventeen; yet she had scarcely completed her fourteenth year The snow of her co, her black eyes bea with fire and innocence, her dress composed only of a che and the prettiest tiny foot, every detail I gathered in one instant presented to inal and the most perfect beauty I had ever beheld I looked at her with the greatest pleasure, and her eyes rested upon me as if we had been old acquaintances
”How did you find your bed?” she asked
”Very comfortable; I am sure you hter of the gate-keeper: I have neither brothers nor sisters, and I alad you have no servant with you; I will be your little hted at this beginning, I sat up ina hundred things which I did not understand
I began to drink my coffee, quite amazed at her easy freedom, and struck with her beauty, to which it would have been impossible to re no other apology for that liberty than themy coffee, when Lucie's parents came into my room
She did not move fro very proud of such a seat The good people kindly scolded her, begged iveness in her favour, and Lucie left the rooone her father and hter
”She is,” they said, ”our only child, our darling pet, the hope of our old age She loves and obeys us, and fears God; she is as clean as a new pin, and has but one fault”
”What is that?”
”She is too young”
”That is a char in ascertaining that they were living specimens of honesty, of truth, of hohted at this discovery, when Lucie returned as gay as a lark, prettily dressed, her hair done in a peculiar way of her own, and ell-fitting shoes She dropped a siave a couple of hearty kisses to both her parents, and jumped on her father knees I asked her to come and sit on my bed, but she answered that she could not take such a liberty now that she was dressed, The simplicity, artlessness, and innocence of the answer seeht a smile on my lips I examined her to see whether she was prettier in her new dress or in the ee, and I decided in favour of the latter To speak the truth, Lucie was, I thought, superior in everything, not only to Angela, but even to Bettina
The hair-dresser made his appearance, and the honest family left my room When I was dressed I went to hter The day passed off very pleasantly, as is generally the case in the country, when you are a, thethe bell, and pretty Lucie came in, simple and natural as before, with her easy manners and wonderful remarks Her candour, her innocence shone brilliantly all over her person I could not conceive hoith her goodness, her virtue and her intelligence, she could run the risk of excitinginto my room alone, and with so much familiarity
I fancied that she would not attach ht liberties, and would not prove over-scrupulous, and with that idea I made up my mind to shew her that I fully understood her I felt no remorse of conscience on the score of her parents, who, in my esti the first to give the alarloo either to be the dupe of feeling or to act against it, I resolved to reconnoitre the ground I extend a daring hand towards her person, and by an involuntary movement she withdraws, blushes, her cheerfulness disappears, and, turning her head aside as if she were in search of soitation has subsided The whole affair had not lasted one minute