Volume I Part 32 (1/2)
Three or four days after that visit, as I alking with the Abbe Gama towards the Villa Medicis, he toldthe night in the Piazza di Spagna
”What kind of execution?”
”The bargello or his lieutenant will come to execute so in order to arrest and carry off so of the sort”
”How do you know it?”
”His eminence has to know it, for the Pope would not venture to encroach upon his jurisdiction without asking his periven it?”
”Yes, one of the Holy Father's auditors caht have refused?”
”Of course; but such a permission is never denied”
”And if the person to be arrested happened to be under the protection of the cardinal--what then?”
”His e to that person”
We changed the conversation, but the news had disturbed me I fancied that the execution threatened Barbara and her lover, for her father's house was under the Spanish jurisdiction I tried to see the younghim, and I was afraid lest a visit at his hoht implicate me Yet it is certain that this last consideration would not have stopped me if I had been positively sure that they were threatened; had I felt satisfied of their danger, I would have braved everything
About o to bed, and just as I was openinginto uessed what had taken place, and, foreseeing all the evil consequences her visit ht have for me, deeply annoyed and very anxious, I upbraided her for having taken refuge in o away
Fool that I was! Knowing that I was only ruining ht to have coht to have called for the servants if she had refused to withdraw
But I had not courage enough, or rather I voluntarily obeyed the decrees of destiny
When she heard o away, she threw herself on her knees, and ed, she entreated my pity!
Where is the heart of steel which is not softened by the tears, by the prayers of a pretty and unfortunate woave way, but I told her that it was ruin for both of us
”No one,” she replied, ”has seen me, I am certain, when I entered the mansion and cao as most fortunate; otherwise, I never could have knohich was your room”
”Alas! how much better if you had never come! But what has become of your lover?”
”The 'sbirri' have carried him off, as well as the servant I will tell you all about it My lover had inforht at the foot of the flight of steps before the Church of Trinita del Monte, and that he would be there hio There I put on this disguise, and, accompanied by the servant, proceeded to meet him The servant walked a few yards before s At the corner of the street, one of the buckles ofunfastened, I stopped an instant, and the servant went on, thinking that I was following her She reached the carriage, got into it, and, as I was getting nearer, the light from a lantern disclosed to ot on the driver's box and drove off at full speed, carrying off the servant, whom they must haveo back to ht me here And here I am! You tell me that my presence will cause your ruin; if it is so, tell ; but find so, even to lay my life down, rather than be the cause of your ruin”
But she wept more bitterly than ever
Her position was so sad that I thought it worse even than h I could almost fancy I saw ruin before me despite my innocence
”Let me,” I said, ”conduct you to your father; I feel sure of obtaining your pardon”
But my proposal only enhanced her fears