Part 28 (1/2)

But Barbarina came not. She lay upon a white silk divan, dressed in the most ravis.h.i.+ng negligee of white muslin, covered with rare and costly lace. She was dreaming with open eyes, and arms crossed upon her breast. Those flas.h.i.+ng eyes were soft and misty; a melancholy expression trembled upon her lips. Barbarina was alone. Why should she not dream, and lay aside for a while her gracious smiles and fiery glance? Of what were those unfathomable eyes dreaming? what signified those sighs which burst from her full crimson lips? Did she know herself, or did she wish to know? Did she comprehend the weakness of her own proud heart, or had she veiled it from herself, ashamed to read what was written there?

At this moment the door opened, and a young girl entered--one of those insignificant, gentle, yielding creatures, generally found amongst the attendants of an artiste--a tete de souffrance, on whom they exhaust their humor, their scorn, and their pa.s.sion; the humble companion, kept in the background when blessed with the society of distinguished and wealthy adorers. The companion of Barbarina did not suffer, however, from this hard fate. She was Barbarina's sister, and had followed her from tender love to the cold north. The signora loved her sister fondly; she was the companion of her joys and sorrows; she had no secrets from her, and knew that an open ear and judicious counsel were always to be found with her little sister Marietta.

Barabrina lay, still dreaming, upon the divan. Possibly she did not know that Marietta stood by her side, and laid her hand upon her shoulder.

”Sorella,” said she, ”get up; many gentlemen are in the saloon, waiting for you.”

”Let them wait. I will see no one to-day.”

”It is the hour when you are accustomed to receive, Sorella, and if you do not come they will think you are still unwell.”

”Well, let them think so.”

”They will not only think so, Sorella; they will say so, and make malicious comments.”

”What comments?” said Barbarina, raising herself up; ”what comments, Marietta?”

”It was indeed unfortunate that your sickness came upon you just as the king appeared,” said Marietta.

Barbarina's eyes flashed. ”Do you think they will put those things together?” said she. ”They will say, perhaps, that Barbarina fainted at the unexpected appearance of the king; that the joy of seeing him overcame her; is that your meaning, Marietta?”

”Yes, that is my meaning,” said Marietta, in a low tone.

Barbarina sprang from the divan, trembling and pallid. ”They will mock at and scorn me,” she cried, raising her arms to heaven as if to call down the lightning to her aid; ”they will say I love this cold king!”

”They will say that, Sorella,” replied Marietta.

Barbarina seized her hand. ”But you, sister! you will not say this; you know that I have sworn to hate him with an everlasting hatred.

You know that I have put an evil spell upon him with my tears; that I never can forgive him for the suffering and agony he prepared for me. Think, think, Marietta, how much I have wept, how much I have endured! My life was like a l.u.s.trous May morning, a fairy tale of starry splendor; roses and pearls were in my path: he has obscured my stars, and changed my pearls to tears. Woe to him! woe to him! I have sworn to hate him eternally, and Barbarina keeps her oath.”

”Yes, you have sworn to hate him, sister, but the world is ignorant of your oath and its cause; their eyes are blinded, and they strangely mistake your hate for love. They see that your glance is clearer, brighter, when the king is by, and they know not that it is hate which flashes from your eyes; they hear that your voice lightly trembles when you speak to him, they do not know that the hatred in your heart deprives you of self-control; they see that you dance with more enchanting grace in the king's presence, they do not understand that these are instruments of revenge--that you wish to crush him by the mighty power of genius, grace, and beauty.”

”Yes, yes! just so,” said Barbarina, breathing painfully; ”you alone know me, you alone read my heart! I hate, I abhor this cold, cruel king, and he richly deserves my hate! He may be wise and great, but his heart is ice. It is true, he is handsome and exalted; genius is marked on his n.o.ble brow; his smile is magical, and irradiates his face; his eyes, those great, inexplicable eyes, are blue as the heavens and unfathomable as the sea. When I look into them, I seem to read the mysteries of the great deep, and the raptures of heaven.

His voice, when he pleads, is like consecrated music; when he commands, it is the voice of G.o.d in thunder. He is great above all other men; he is a hero, a man, and a king!”

”And yet you hate him?” said Marietta, with a mocking smile.

Barbarina trembled. Marietta's question checked her glowing enthusiasm; it rang in her ears like the name-call in the ”Somnambulist,” and roused her to consciousness.

”Yes,” said she, in a low tone, ”I hate him, and I will ever hate him! If I loved him, I should be the most wretched of women--I should despise and curse myself. He has no heart; he cannot love; and shame and dishonor rest upon the woman who loves and is not beloved. Frederick loves nothing but his Prussia, his fame, and his greatness. And the world says, that 'the Barbarina loves him.' You see that is impossible, that can never be. I would rather die than love this man without a heart.”

”The world is incredulous,” said Marietta; ”they cannot look into your heart, and you must be silent as to your hatred. You dare not say that you fainted yesterday from scorn and rage at the sudden appearance of the king.”

”Think you they will believe that joy overcame me?” cried Barbarina, in wild frenzy, ”They shall not believe it; it shall not be!” She sprang like an enraged lioness and grasped a little stiletto which lay upon her toilet-table, and which she had brought as a relic from her beautiful fatherland. ”I will not be mocked at and despised,”

cried she, proudly, das.h.i.+ng off her gold-embroidered white satin slipper, and raising her foot.

”Oh! Barbarina, what will you do?” cried Marietta, as she saw her take up the stiletto.