The Italians Part 43

FRA PACIFICO AND THE MARCHESA.

On the evening of that day the marchesa was in her own room, opening from the sala. The little furniture the room contained was collected around the marchesa, forming a species of oasis on the broad desert of the scagliola floor. A bra.s.s lamp, placed on a table, formed the centre of this habitable spot. The marchesa sat in deep shadow, but in the outline of her tall, slight figure, and in the carriage of her head and neck, there was the same indomitable pride, courage, and energy, as before. A paper lay on the ground near her; it was n.o.bili's letter. Fra Pacifico sat opposite to her. He was speaking. His deep-set luminous eyes were fixed on the marchesa. His straight, coa.r.s.e hair was pushed up erect upon his brow; there was at all times something of a mane about it. His ca.s.sock sat loosely about his big, well-made limbs; his priestly stock was loosed, showing the dark skin of his throat and chin. In the turn of his eye, in the expression of his countenance, there were anxiety, restlessness, and distrust.

"Yes--Enrica has recovered for the present," he was saying, "but such an attack saps and weakens the very issues of life. Count n.o.bili, if not brought to reason, would break her heart." She was obstinately silent. The balance of her mind was partially upset. "'I shall never see n.o.bili again,' was all she would say to me. It is a pity, I think, that you sent the cavaliere away to Lucca. Enrica might have opened her mind to him."

As he spoke, Fra Pacifico crossed one of his legs over the other, and arranged the heavy folds of his ca.s.sock over his knees.

"And who says Enrica shall not see n.o.bili again?" asked the marchesa, defiantly. "Holy saints! That is my affair. I want no advice. My honor is now as much concerned in the completion of this marriage as it was before to prevent it. The contract has been signed in my presence.

The money agreed upon has been paid over to me. The marriage must take place. I have sent Trenta to Lucca to make preliminary arrangements."

"I rejoice to hear it," answered Fra Pacifico, his countenance brightening. "There must be some extraordinary mistake. The cavaliere will explain it. Some enemies of your family must have misled Count n.o.bili, especially as there was a certain appearance of concealment respecting Count Marescotti. It will all come right. I only feared lest the language of that letter would have, in your opinion, rendered the marriage impossible."

"That letter does not move me in the least," answered the marchesa haughtily, speaking out of the shadow. She gave the letter a kick, sending it farther from her. "I care neither for praise nor insult from such a fellow. He is but an instrument in my hand. He has, however, justified my bad opinion of him. I am glad of that. Do you imagine, my father," she added, leaning forward, and bringing her head for an instant within the circle of the light--"do you imagine any thing but absolute necessity would have induced me to allow Count n.o.bili ever to enter my presence?"

"I am bound to tell you that your pride is un-Christian, my daughter."

Fra Pacifico spoke with warmth. "I cannot permit such language in my presence."

The marchesa waved her hand contemptuously, then contemplated him, a smile upon her face.

"I have long known Count n.o.bili. He has the faults of his age. He is impulsive--vain, perhaps--but at the same time he is loyal and generous. He was not himself when he wrote that letter. There is a pa.s.sionate sorrow about it that convinces me of this. He has been misled. The offer you sanctioned of Enrica's hand to Count Marescotti, has been misrepresented to him. Undoubtedly n.o.bili ought to have sought an explanation before he left Lucca; but, the more he loved Enrica, the more he must have suffered before he could so address her."

"You justify Count n.o.bili, then, my father, not only for abandoning my niece, but for endeavoring to blast her character? Is this your Christianity?" The marchesa asked this question with bitter scorn; her keen eyes shone mockingly out of the darkness. "I told you what he was, remember. I have some knowledge of him and of his father."

"My daughter, I do not defend him. If need be, I have sworn to punish him with my own hand. But, until I know all the circ.u.mstances, I pity him; I repeat, I pity him. Some powerful influence must have been brought to bear upon n.o.bili. It may have been a woman."

"Ha! ha!" laughed the marchesa, contemptuously. "You admit, then, n.o.bili has a taste for women?"

Fra Pacifico rose suddenly from his chair. An expression of deep displeasure was on his face, which had grown crimson under the marchesa's taunts.

"I desire no altercation, marchesa, nor will I permit you to address such unseemly words to me. What I deem fitting I shall say, now and always. It is my duty. You have called me here. What do you want? How can I help you? In all things lawful I am ready to do so. Nay, I will take the whole matter on myself if you desire."

As he spoke, Fra Pacifico stooped and raised n.o.bili's crumpled letter from the floor. He spread it out open on the table. The marchesa motioned to him to reseat himself. He did so.

"What I want?" she said, taking up the priest's words. "I will tell you. When I bring Count n.o.bili here"--the marchesa spoke very slowly, and stretched out her long fingers, as though she held him already in her grasp--"when I bring Count n.o.bili here, I want you to perform the marriage ceremony. It must take place immediately. Under the circ.u.mstances the marriage had better be private."

"I shall not perform the ceremony," answered Fra Pacifico, his full, deep voice ringing through the room, "at your bidding only. Enrica must also consent. Enrica must consent in my presence."

As the light of the lamp struck upon Fra Pacifico, the lines about his mouth deepened, and that look of courage and of command the people of Corellia knew so well was marked upon his countenance. A rock might have been moved, but not Fra Pacifico.

"Enrica shall obey me!" cried the marchesa. Her temper was rising beyond control at the idea of any opposition at such a critical moment. She had made her plan, settled it with Trenta; her plan must be carried out. "Enrica shall obey me," she repeated. "Enrica will obey me unless instigated by you, Fra Pacifico."

"My daughter," replied the priest, "if you forget the respect due to my office, I shall leave you."

"Pardon me, my father," and the marchesa bowed stiffly; "but I appeal to your justice. Can I allow that reprobate to break my niece's heart?--to tarnish her good name? If there were a single Guinigi left, he would stab n.o.bili like a dog! Such a fellow is unworthy the name of gentleman. Marriage alone can remove the stain he has cast upon Enrica. It is no question of sentiment. The marriage is essential to the honor of my house. Enrica must be _called_ Countess n.o.bili, whether n.o.bili pleases it or not. Else how can I keep his money? And without his money--" She paused suddenly. In the warmth of speech the marchesa had been actually led into the confession that n.o.bili was necessary to her "I have the contract," she added. "Thank Heaven, I have the contract! n.o.bili is legally bound by the contract."

"Yes, that may be," answered Fra Pacifico, reflectively, "if you choose to force him. But I warn you that I will put no violence on Enrica's feelings. She must decide for herself."

"But if Enrica still loves him," urged the marchesa, determined if possible to avoid an appeal to her niece--"if Enrica still loves him, as you a.s.sure me she does, may we not look upon her acquiescence as obtained?"

Fra Pacifico shook his head. He was perfectly unmoved by the marchesa's violence.

"Life, honor, position, reputation, all rest on this marriage. I have accepted Count n.o.bili's money; Count n.o.bili must accept my niece."

"Your niece must nevertheless consent. I can permit no other arrangement. Then you have to find Count n.o.bili. He must voluntarily appear at the altar."

Fra Pacifico turned his resolute face full upon the marchesa. Her whole att.i.tude betrayed intense excitement.

"Your niece must consent, Count n.o.bili must appear voluntarily before the altar, else the Church cannot sanction the union. It would be sacrilege. How do you propose to overcome Count n.o.bili's refusal?"

"By the law!" exclaimed the marchesa, imperiously.

Fra Pacifico turned aside his head to conceal a smile. The law had not hitherto favored the marchesa. Her constant appeal to the law had been the princ.i.p.al cause of her present troubles.

"By the law," the marchesa repeated. Her sallow face glowed for a moment. "Surely, Fra Pacifico--surely you will not oppose me? You talk of the Church. The Church, indeed! Did not the wretch sign the marriage-contract in your presence? The Church must enable him to complete his contract. In your presence too, as priest and civil delegate; and you talk of sacrilege, my father! Che! che! Dio buono!"

she exclaimed, losing all self-control in the conviction her own argument brought to her--"Fra Pacifico, you must be mad!"

"I only ask for Enrica's consent," answered the priest. "That given, if Count n.o.bili comes, I will consent to marry them."

"Count n.o.bili--he shall come--never fear," and the marchesa gave a short, scornful laugh. "After I have been to Lucca he will come. I shall have done my duty. It is all very well," added the marchesa, loftily, "for low people to pair like animals, from inclination. Such vulgar motives have no place in the world in which I live. Persons of my rank form alliances among themselves from more elevated considerations; from political and prudential motives; for the sake of great wealth when wealth is required; to shed fresh l.u.s.tre on an historic name by adding to it the splendor of another equally ill.u.s.trious. My own marriage was arranged for this end. Again I remind you, my father, that nothing but necessity would have forced me to permit a usurer's son to dare to aspire to the hand of my niece. It is a horrible degradation--the first blot on a spotless escutcheon."

"Again I warn you, my daughter, such pride is unseemly. Summon Enrica at once. Let us hear what she says."

The marchesa drew back into the shadow, and was silent. As long as she could bring her battery of arguments against Fra Pacifico, she felt safe. What Enrica might say, who could tell? One word from Enrica might overturn all her subtle combinations. That Fra Pacifico should a.s.sist her was indispensable. Another priest, less interested in Enrica, might, under the circ.u.mstances, refuse to unite them. Even if that difficulty could be got over, the marchesa was fully alive to the fact that a painful scene would probably occur--such a scene as ought not to be witnessed by a stranger. Hence her hesitation in calling Enrica.

During this pause Fra Pacifico crossed his arms upon his breast and waited in silence.

"Let Enrica come," said the marchesa at last; "I have no objection."

She threw herself back on her seat, and doggedly awaited the result.

Fra Pacifico rose and opened a door on the other side of the room, communicating with the vaulted pa.s.sage which had connected the villa with the tower.

"Who is there?" he called. (Bells were a luxury unknown at Corellia.)

"I," answered Angelo, running forward, his eyes gleaming like two stars. Angelo sometimes acted as acolyte to Fra Pacifico. Angelo was proud to show his alacrity to his reverence, who had often cuffed him for his mischievous pranks; specially on one occasion, when Fra Pacifico had found him in the act of pus.h.i.+ng Gigi stealthily into the marble basin of the fountain, to see if, being small, Gigi would swim like the gold-fish.

"Go to the Signorina Enrica, Angelo, and tell her that the marchesa wants her."

As long as Enrica was ill, Fra Pacifico went freely in and out of her room; now that she was recovered, and had risen from her bed, it was not suitable for him to seek her there himself.

CHAPTER V.

TO BE, OR NOT TO BE?

When Angelo knocked at Enrica's door, Pipa, who was with her, opened it, and gave her Fra Pacifico's message. The summons was so sudden Enrica had no time to think, but a wild, unmeaning delight possessed her. It was so rare for her aunt to send for her she must be going to tell her something about n.o.bili. With his name upon her lips, Enrica started up from the chair on which she had been half lying, and ran toward the door.