CHAPTER I.
CALUMNY.
Baldassare was, of course, invited by the cavaliere to join the proposed expedition to the tombs of the Trenta and to the Guinigi Tower. Half an hour before the time appointed he appeared at the Palazzo Trenta. The cavaliere was ready, and they went out into the street together.
"If you have not been asleep since the ball, Baldassare—which is probable—perhaps you can tell me how Nera Boccarini is this morning?"
"She is quite well, I understand," answered Adonis, with an air of great mystery, as he smoothed his scented beard. "She is only a little shaken."
"By Jove!" exclaimed the cavaliere. "Never was I present at any thing like that! A love-scene in public! Once, indeed, I remember, on one occasion, when her highness Paulina threw herself into the arms of his serene highness—"
"Have you heard the news?" asked Baldassare, interrupting him.
He dreaded a long tirade from the old chamberlain on the subject of his court reminiscences; besides, Baldassare was bursting with a startling piece of intelligence as yet evidently unknown to Trenta.
"News!—no," answered the cavaliere, contemptuously. "I dare say it is some lie. You have, I am sorry to say, Baldassare, all the faults of a person new to society; you believe every thing."
Baldassare eyed the cavaliere defiantly; but he pulled at his curled mustache in silence.
The cavaliere stopped short, raised his head, and scanned him attentively.
"Out with it, my boy, out with it, or it will choke you! I see you are dying to tell me!"
"Not at all, cavaliere," replied Baldassare, with assumed indifference; "only I must say that I believe you are the only person in Lucca who has not heard it."
"Heard what?" demanded Trenta, angrily.
Baldassare knew the cavaliere's weak point; he delighted to tease him. Trenta considered himself, and was generally considered by others, as a universal news-monger; it was a habit that had remained to him from his former life at court. From the time of Polonius downward a court-chamberlain has always been a news-monger.
"Heard? Why, the news—the great news," Baldassare spoke in the same jeering tone. He drew himself up, affecting to look over the cavaliere's head as he bent on his stick before him.
"Go on," retorted the cavaliere, doggedly.
"How strange you have not heard any thing!" Trenta now looked so enraged, Baldassare thought it was time to leave off bantering him. "Well, then, cavaliere, since you really appear to be ignorant, I will tell you. After you left the Orsetti ball, Malatesta asked me and the other young men of their set to supper at the Universo Hotel."
"Mercy on us!" ejaculated the cavaliere, who was now thoroughly irritated, "you consider yourself one of their set, do you? I congratulate you, young man. This is news to me."
"Certainly, cavaliere, if you ask me, I do consider myself one of their set."
The cavaliere shrugged his shoulders contemptuously.
"We talked of the accident," continued Baldassare, affecting not to notice his sneers, "and we talked of Nobili. Many said, as you do, that Nobili is in love with Nera Boccarini, and that he would certainly marry her. Malatesta laughed, as is his way, then he swore a little. Nobili would do no such thing, he declared, he would answer for it. He had it on the best authority, he said, that of an eye-witness." (Ah, cruel old Carlotta, you have made good your threat of vengeance!) "An eye-witness had said that Nobili was in love with some one else—some one who wrote to him; that they had been watched—that he met some one secretly, and that by-and-by all the city would know it, and that there would be a great scandal."
"And who may the lady be?" asked the cavaliere carelessly, raising his head as he put the question, with a sardonic glance at Baldassare. "Not that I believe one word Malatesta says. He is a young coxcomb, and you, Baldassare, are a parrot, and repeat what you hear. Per Bacco! if there had been any thing serious, I should have known it long ago. Who is the lady?" Spite of himself, however, his blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"The marchesa's niece, Enrica Guinigi."
"What!" roared out the cavaliere, striking his stick so violently on the ground that the sound echoed through the solitary street. "Enrica Guinigi, whom I see every day! What a lie!—what a base lie! How dare Malatesta—the beast—say so? I will chastise him myself!—with my own hand, old as I am, I will chastise him! Enrica Guinigi!"
Baldassare shrugged his shoulders and made a grimace. This incensed the cavaliere more violently.
"Now, listen to me, Baldassare Lena," shouted the cavaliere, advancing, and putting his fist almost into his face. "Your father is a chemist; and keeps a shop. He is not a doctor, though you call him so. If ever you presume again to repeat scandals such as this—scandals, I say, involving the reputation of noble ladies, my friends—ladies into whose houses I have introduced you, there shall be no more question of your being of their 'set.' I will take care that you never enter one of their doors again. By the body of my holy ancestor, San Riccardo, I will disgrace you—publicly disgrace you!"
Trenta's rosy face had grown purple, his lips worked convulsively. He raised his stick, and flourished it in the air, as if about to make it descend like a truncheon on Baldassare's shoulders. Adonis drew back a step or two, following with his eyes the cavaliere's movements. He was quite unmoved by his threats. Not a day passed that Trenta did not threaten him with his eternal displeasure. Adonis was used to it, and bore it patiently. He bore it because he could not help it. Although by no means overburdened with brains, he was conscious that as yet he was not sufficiently established in society to stand alone. Still, he had too high an opinion of his personal beauty, fine clothes, and general merits, to believe that the ladies of Lucca would permit of his banishment by any arbitrary decree of the cavaliere.
"You had better find out the truth, cavaliere," he muttered, keeping well out of the range of Trenta's stick, "before you put yourself in such a passion."
"Domine Dio! that they should dare to utter such abominations!" ejaculated the cavaliere. "Why, Enrica lives the life of a nun! I doubt if she has ever seen Nobili—certainly she has never spoken to him. Let Malatesta, and the young scoundrels at the club, attack the married women. They can defend themselves. But, to calumniate an innocent girl!—it is horrible!—it is unmanly! His highness the Duke of Lucca would have banished the wretch forthwith. Ah! Italy is going to the devil!—Now, Baldassare," he continued, turning round and glaring upon Adonis, who still retreated cautiously before him, "I have a great mind to send you home. We are about to meet the young lady herself. You are not worthy to be in her company."
"I only repeated what Malatesta told me," urged Baldassare, plaintively, looking very blank. "I am not answerable for him. Go and quarrel with Malatesta, if you like, but leave me alone. You asked me a question, and I answered you. That is all."
Baldassare had dressed himself with great care; his hair was exquisitely curled for the occasion. He had nothing to do all day, and the prospect of returning home was most depressing.
"You are not answerable for being born a fool!" was the rejoinder. "I grant that. Who told Malatesta?" asked the cavaliere, turning sharply toward Baldassare.
"He said he had heard it in many quarters. He insisted on having heard it from one who had seen them together."
(Old Carlotta, sitting in her shop-door at the corner of the street of San Simone, like an evil spider in its web, could have answered that question.)
The cavaliere was still standing on the same spot, in the centre of the street.
"Baldassare," he said, addressing him more calmly, "this is a wicked calumny. The marchesa must not hear it. Upon reflection, I shall not notice it. Malatesta is a chattering fool—an ape! I dare say he was tipsy when he said it. But, as you value my protection, swear to me not to repeat one word of all this. If you hear it mentioned, contradict it—flatly contradict it, on my authority—the authority of the Marchesa Guinigi's oldest friend. Nobili will marry Nera Boccarini, and there will be an end of it; and Enrica—yes, Baldassare," continued the cavaliere, with an air of immense dignity—"yes, to prove to you how ridiculous this report is, Enrica is about to marry also. I am at this very time authorized by the family to arrange an alliance with—"
"I guess!" burst out Baldassare, reddening with delight at being intrusted with so choice a piece of news—"with Count Marescotti!" Trenta gave a conscious smile, and nodded. This was done with a certain reserve, but still graciously. "To be sure; it was easy to see how much he admired her, but I did not know that the lady—"
"Oh, yes, the lady is all right—she will agree," rejoined Trenta. "She knows no one else; she will obey her aunt's commands and my wishes."
"I am delighted!" cried Baldassare. "Why, there will be a ball at
Palazzo Guinigi—a ball, after all!"
"But the marchesa must never hear this scandal about Nobili," added Trenta, suddenly relapsing into gravity. "She hates him so much, it might give her a fit. Have a care, Baldassare—have a care, or you may yet incur my severest displeasure."
"I am sure I don't want the marchesa or any one else to know it," replied Baldassare, greatly reassured as to the manner in which he would pass his day by the change in Trenta's manner. "I would not annoy her or injure the signorina for all the world. I am sure you know that, cavaliere. No word shall pass my lips, I promise you."
"Good! good!" responded Trenta, now quite pacified (it was not in Trenta's nature to be angry long). Now he moved forward, and as he did so he took Baldassare's arm, in token of forgiveness. "No names must be mentioned," he continued, tripping along—"mind, no names; but I authorize you, on my authority, if you hear this abominable nonsense repeated—I authorize you to say that you have it from me—that Enrica Guinigi is to be married, and not to Nobili. He! he! That will surprise them—those chattering young blackguards at the club."
Thus, once more on the most amiable terms, the cavaliere and
Baldassare proceeded leisurely arm-in-arm toward the street of San
Simone.