Frederick the Great and His Family [246]
in her usual impassioned manner; she told him how she had suffered in their long separation; how the thought that he might be untrue to her, that he loved another had filled her with anguish.
Ranuzi laughed. "Still the same old song, Marietta; always full of doubt and distrust? Does the lioness still thirst after my blood? would she lacerate my faithless heart?"
Kneeling, as she often did, at his feet, she rested her arms on his knees; then dropping her head on her folded hands, she looked up at him.
"Can you swear that you are true to me?" said she, in a strange, sharp tone. "Can you swear that you love no other woman but me?"
"Yes, I can swear it!" said he, laughing.
"Then do so," cried she, earnestly.
"Tell me an oath and I will repeat it after you."
She looked at him firmly for several moments, and strange shadows crossed her emotional countenance.
Ranuzi did not perceive them; he was too inattentive, too confident of success, to entertain doubt or distrust.
"Hear the oath!" said she, after a pause. "'I, Count Carlo Ranuzi, swear that I love no other woman but Marietta Taliazuchi; I swear that, since I have loved her, I have not nor ever shall kiss or breathe words of love to any other woman. May God's anger reach me, if my oath is false!'"
The words fell slowly, singly from her lips, and she gazed with unflinching eyes up at him.
Not a muscle in his countenance moved. Laughing gayly, he repeated her words; then bent and kissed her black, shiny hair. "Are you satisfied now, you silly child?"
"I am satisfied, for you have sworn," said she, rising from her knees.
"Will this quiet you now, Marietta?"
"Yes, forever."
"Well, then, now a moment to business. There are two important letters, my beautiful darling. You see how boundless my love for you is--I confide these letters to your care, and entreat you to post them as usual. My heart and my secrets are in your lovely hands."
He kissed the hands, and gave her the letters.
Marietta took and looked at them in a timid, fearful manner.
"Do they contain dangerous secrets?" said she.
"Dangerous in the extreme, my lovely one."
"Were they intercepted and opened, would you be liable to death?" said she, in a low, trembling voice.
He saw in these words only her solicitude and love for him.
"Certainly, I would be lost--I would have to die were these letters opened. But fear not, my beauteous Marietta--they will not be opened; no one would dream of intercepting the harmless letters you direct to your friends at Magdeburg. Apart from that, no one is aware of our close connection. We have carefully guarded the holy secret of our love; when your husband returns from Italy, this bad world will have no evil rumors to tell of us, and you will be enclosed in his arms as his faithful wife. When does he come?"
"I expect him in three weeks."
"Many glorious, quiet evenings will we enjoy together before his return. And now, farewell--I must leave you."
"You must leave me?"
"I must, Marietta."
"And where are you going?" said she, looking at him earnestly.
"Jealous again," said he, laughing. "Calm yourself, Marietta, I go to no woman. Besides this, have you not my oath?"
"Where are you going?" said she, with a sharp questioning look.
"I have an engagement to meet some friends--the meeting takes place in the house of a Catholic priest. Are you satisfied, Marietta? or do you still fear that some dangerous rendezvous calls me from you?"
"I fear nothing," said she, smiling; "you have reassured me."
"Then, my beloved, I entreat you to command me to go, for if you do not, though I know I ought, I cannot leave you. But, no--first I will see you direct these letters."
"You shall," said she, taking a pen and directing them.
Ranuzi took the letters and examined them.
"This simple feminine address is the talisman that protects me and my secret. And this I owe to you, my darling, to you alone. But will you finish your work of mercy? Will you post these letters at once?"
"I will do so, Carlo."
"Will
Ranuzi laughed. "Still the same old song, Marietta; always full of doubt and distrust? Does the lioness still thirst after my blood? would she lacerate my faithless heart?"
Kneeling, as she often did, at his feet, she rested her arms on his knees; then dropping her head on her folded hands, she looked up at him.
"Can you swear that you are true to me?" said she, in a strange, sharp tone. "Can you swear that you love no other woman but me?"
"Yes, I can swear it!" said he, laughing.
"Then do so," cried she, earnestly.
"Tell me an oath and I will repeat it after you."
She looked at him firmly for several moments, and strange shadows crossed her emotional countenance.
Ranuzi did not perceive them; he was too inattentive, too confident of success, to entertain doubt or distrust.
"Hear the oath!" said she, after a pause. "'I, Count Carlo Ranuzi, swear that I love no other woman but Marietta Taliazuchi; I swear that, since I have loved her, I have not nor ever shall kiss or breathe words of love to any other woman. May God's anger reach me, if my oath is false!'"
The words fell slowly, singly from her lips, and she gazed with unflinching eyes up at him.
Not a muscle in his countenance moved. Laughing gayly, he repeated her words; then bent and kissed her black, shiny hair. "Are you satisfied now, you silly child?"
"I am satisfied, for you have sworn," said she, rising from her knees.
"Will this quiet you now, Marietta?"
"Yes, forever."
"Well, then, now a moment to business. There are two important letters, my beautiful darling. You see how boundless my love for you is--I confide these letters to your care, and entreat you to post them as usual. My heart and my secrets are in your lovely hands."
He kissed the hands, and gave her the letters.
Marietta took and looked at them in a timid, fearful manner.
"Do they contain dangerous secrets?" said she.
"Dangerous in the extreme, my lovely one."
"Were they intercepted and opened, would you be liable to death?" said she, in a low, trembling voice.
He saw in these words only her solicitude and love for him.
"Certainly, I would be lost--I would have to die were these letters opened. But fear not, my beauteous Marietta--they will not be opened; no one would dream of intercepting the harmless letters you direct to your friends at Magdeburg. Apart from that, no one is aware of our close connection. We have carefully guarded the holy secret of our love; when your husband returns from Italy, this bad world will have no evil rumors to tell of us, and you will be enclosed in his arms as his faithful wife. When does he come?"
"I expect him in three weeks."
"Many glorious, quiet evenings will we enjoy together before his return. And now, farewell--I must leave you."
"You must leave me?"
"I must, Marietta."
"And where are you going?" said she, looking at him earnestly.
"Jealous again," said he, laughing. "Calm yourself, Marietta, I go to no woman. Besides this, have you not my oath?"
"Where are you going?" said she, with a sharp questioning look.
"I have an engagement to meet some friends--the meeting takes place in the house of a Catholic priest. Are you satisfied, Marietta? or do you still fear that some dangerous rendezvous calls me from you?"
"I fear nothing," said she, smiling; "you have reassured me."
"Then, my beloved, I entreat you to command me to go, for if you do not, though I know I ought, I cannot leave you. But, no--first I will see you direct these letters."
"You shall," said she, taking a pen and directing them.
Ranuzi took the letters and examined them.
"This simple feminine address is the talisman that protects me and my secret. And this I owe to you, my darling, to you alone. But will you finish your work of mercy? Will you post these letters at once?"
"I will do so, Carlo."
"Will