Part 30 (1/2)
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
Zappa had hitherto contrived to prevent the meeting of Ada and Nina, by compelling both 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 rumours of the presence of a stranger in the island, although Paolo had been careful not to hurt his sister's feelings needlessly, by speaking of her. Little Mila, the only personal attendant with whom she could converse, had been warned not to mention the arrival of Ada and her attendant; and for some time she kept the secret which was burning on her tongue; but as she suffered somewhat from that infirmity which is said, I suspect unjustly, to be peculiar to her s.e.x, 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 communicate, but reserved to herself the pleasure of giving 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 a.s.sisting Nina to dress. ”It would be difficult, though, to arrange a more handsome room than this.”
”No, Mila, scarcely could anything be more beautiful than this. But why should you say so?” asked Nina, whose suspicions had already been aroused by her attendant's previous remarks.
”Why, signora, I was comparing it with a room I have seen elsewhere, which is also very magnificent,” returned Mila.
”You have seen! Why, you have never been off this island,” exclaimed Nina.
”That is true, signora,” said the Greek girl; ”but the room I speak of is on the island, and I confess it is at no great 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 mistaken, signora. The other old tower to the east of this, has had a room lately fitted up, very much like this, and there lives there a good-natured, lively girl, who tells me--for we manage to talk very well together--that she was born in an island like this, only larger. I like her very much, though she is not at all pretty; but she has a mistress, a young lady, who also lives in the tower, who is a complete angel--so fair, and kind, and beautiful, though she does not speak much, as she does not understand a word of Romaic; but I loved her the moment I saw her, and I am sure you would do so also, signora, were you to see her.”
”A lady! young, and fair, and beautiful,” repeated the Italian girl, a feeling gus.h.i.+ng into her bosom which was very far from being 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 s.h.i.+ps, and have never been slaves to the Turks; then she has been here ever since our chief came back; for he brought her in his vessel with Signor 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 same tint as the brightest 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 dreaming of the wounds she was inflicting on the feelings of her older friend and mistress--it is impossible to say, had not Nina interrupted her.
”I must go and see this stranger lady!” she exclaimed, in a tone which startled the little girl, and taught her that it would have been wiser to have obeyed orders, and not mentioned her. ”Come, Mila, we will go at once, and you shall run up into her room, and announce me.”
”Oh, dear! signora, that will never do,” answered the Greek girl. ”You forget that the directions of our chief forbid you to quit your tower; and what would 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 my rival;” so ran the current of her thoughts. ”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 to me of love.
'Twould be madness to know that I were flung aside for one more young and beautiful, perchance, but one who could not feel for him one tenth part of the intense love I bear him. I must go and see her. If she is--oh! G.o.d, what?” And her hand touched, unconsciously, the hilt of a small dagger she wore in her girdle.
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 with which she entered.
As it happened, Ada did not, in the least, understand what she meant, and supposing it 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 female figure standing at the other end of the room, with her eyes fixed intently on her. For the first moment, the idea glanced across her mind, that her senses must have deceived her, so statue-like was the form--so rigid was the gaze; but a few seconds served to a.s.sure her that a human being 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 pa.s.sionate impulse which had, unhappily, too often guided 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 exclaimed, ”I have wronged 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 from one who lives for him alone. Say you do not love Argiri Caramitzo, the chief of this island--you do not wish to win his love.”
Astonishment prevented Ada from answering this extraordinary address, and she hesitated, while she considered in what terms she should speak, so that she might quickly tranquillise the agitated feelings of her visitor, and, at the same time, avoid wounding them.
Nina seemed to mistake her silence for an acknowledgment of guilt, for she sprang to her feet, and her dagger-blade flashed in her hand. In another moment, it would have been stained with blood, had not Ada exclaimed--
”Indeed you do me wrong, signora. I would not rob you of your husband's love, for all the world can give. I am not mistaken in supposing you to be the sister of Signor Paolo Montifalcone; and if so, I already know your history, and, far from seeking to injure you, would do all in my power to preserve you from harm.”
”You can but injure me in one way, and that you might do unknowingly and unwillingly,” exclaimed the Italian, still regarding her with a glance 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 from approaching her.
Ada felt an unusual courage come to her aid. She neither trembled nor turned pale, nor did she show any attempt to defend herself from Nina's mistaken vengeance; but she lifted her mild blue eyes, full of commiseration, towards the now flas.h.i.+ng orbs of the Italian, and, in a sweet, calm voice, she said--