Frederick the Great and His Family [175]
offered Taliazuchi a place in the opera troupe as writer. So I left my beautiful Italy; I left you to amass gold in this cold north. And now, I no longer repent; I rejoice! I have found you again--you, the beloved of my youth--you, my youth itself. Oh, Heaven! never will I forget the day when I saw you passing. I knew you in spite of the uniform, in spite of the many years which had passed since we met. I knew you; and not my lips only, but my heart, uttered that loud cry which caused you to look up, my Carlo. And now you recognized me and stretched your hands out to me, and I would have sprung to you from the window, had not Taliazuchi held me back. I cried out, 'It is Ranuzi! it is Carlo! I must, I will fly to him,' when the door opened and you entered and I saw you, my own beloved; I heard your dear voice, and never did one of God's poor creatures fall into a happier insensibility than I in that rapturous moment."
"And Taliazuchi stood by and smiled!" said Ranuzi, laughing; "it was truly a pretty scene for an opera writer. He, no doubt, thought so, and wished to take note of it, as he left the room when you awaked to consciousness."
"Since that time, I am only awake when in your presence," said Marietta, passionately. "When you are not near me, I sleep. You are the sun which rouses me to life. When you leave me, it is night-- dark night, and dark, gloomy thoughts steal over me."
"What thoughts, Marietta?" said he, placing his hand under her chin, and raising her head gently.
She looked up at him with a curious, dreamy smile, but was silent.
"Well, what thoughts have you when I am not with you?" he repeated.
"I think it possible a day may come in which you will cease to love me."
"And you think you will then fly to Taliazuchi for consolation?" said Ranuzi, laughing.
"No; I think, or rather I fear that I will revenge myself; that I will take vengeance on you for your unfaithfulness."
"Ah! my tigress threatens!" cried Ranuzi. "Now, Marietta, you know well that I shall never cease to love you, but a day will come when we will be forced to separate." She sprang up with a wild cry, and clasped him stormily in her arms.
"No, no!" she cried, trembling and weeping; "no man shall dare to tear you from me! We will never be separated!"
"You think, then, that I am not only your prisoner for life, but also the eternal prisoner of the King of Prussia?"
"No, no! you shall be free--free! but Marietta will also be free, and by your side. When you leave Berlin, I go with you; no power can bind me here. Taliazuchi will not seek me, if I leave him my little fortune. I will do that; I will take nothing with me. Poor, without fortune or possessions, I will follow you, Ranuzi. I desire nothing, I hope for nothing, but to be by your side."
She clasped him in her arms, and did not remark the dark cloud which shadowed his brow, but this vanished quickly, and his countenance assumed a kind and clear expression. "It shall be so, Marietta! Freedom shall unite us both eternally, death only shall separate us! But when may we hope for this great, this glorious, this beautiful hour? When will the blessed day dawn in which I can take your hand and say to you, 'Come, Marietta, come; the world belongs to us and our love. Let us fly and enjoy our happiness.' Oh, beloved, if you truly love me, help me to snatch this happy day from fate! Stand by me with your love, that I may attain my freedom."
"Tell me what I can do, and it is done," said she resolutely; "there is nothing I will not undertake and dare for you."
Ranuzi took her small head in his hands and gazed long and smilingly into her glowing face.
"Are you sure of yourself?" said he.
"I am sure. Tell me, Carlo, what I must do, and it is done."
"And if it is dangerous, Marietta?"
"I know but one danger."
"What is that?"
"To lose your love, Carlo!"
"Then this world has no danger for you, Marietta!"
"Speak, Carlo, speak! How can I aid you? What can I do to obtain your liberty?"
Ranuzi threw a quick and searching glance around the room,
"And Taliazuchi stood by and smiled!" said Ranuzi, laughing; "it was truly a pretty scene for an opera writer. He, no doubt, thought so, and wished to take note of it, as he left the room when you awaked to consciousness."
"Since that time, I am only awake when in your presence," said Marietta, passionately. "When you are not near me, I sleep. You are the sun which rouses me to life. When you leave me, it is night-- dark night, and dark, gloomy thoughts steal over me."
"What thoughts, Marietta?" said he, placing his hand under her chin, and raising her head gently.
She looked up at him with a curious, dreamy smile, but was silent.
"Well, what thoughts have you when I am not with you?" he repeated.
"I think it possible a day may come in which you will cease to love me."
"And you think you will then fly to Taliazuchi for consolation?" said Ranuzi, laughing.
"No; I think, or rather I fear that I will revenge myself; that I will take vengeance on you for your unfaithfulness."
"Ah! my tigress threatens!" cried Ranuzi. "Now, Marietta, you know well that I shall never cease to love you, but a day will come when we will be forced to separate." She sprang up with a wild cry, and clasped him stormily in her arms.
"No, no!" she cried, trembling and weeping; "no man shall dare to tear you from me! We will never be separated!"
"You think, then, that I am not only your prisoner for life, but also the eternal prisoner of the King of Prussia?"
"No, no! you shall be free--free! but Marietta will also be free, and by your side. When you leave Berlin, I go with you; no power can bind me here. Taliazuchi will not seek me, if I leave him my little fortune. I will do that; I will take nothing with me. Poor, without fortune or possessions, I will follow you, Ranuzi. I desire nothing, I hope for nothing, but to be by your side."
She clasped him in her arms, and did not remark the dark cloud which shadowed his brow, but this vanished quickly, and his countenance assumed a kind and clear expression. "It shall be so, Marietta! Freedom shall unite us both eternally, death only shall separate us! But when may we hope for this great, this glorious, this beautiful hour? When will the blessed day dawn in which I can take your hand and say to you, 'Come, Marietta, come; the world belongs to us and our love. Let us fly and enjoy our happiness.' Oh, beloved, if you truly love me, help me to snatch this happy day from fate! Stand by me with your love, that I may attain my freedom."
"Tell me what I can do, and it is done," said she resolutely; "there is nothing I will not undertake and dare for you."
Ranuzi took her small head in his hands and gazed long and smilingly into her glowing face.
"Are you sure of yourself?" said he.
"I am sure. Tell me, Carlo, what I must do, and it is done."
"And if it is dangerous, Marietta?"
"I know but one danger."
"What is that?"
"To lose your love, Carlo!"
"Then this world has no danger for you, Marietta!"
"Speak, Carlo, speak! How can I aid you? What can I do to obtain your liberty?"
Ranuzi threw a quick and searching glance around the room,